The Men of Ramshire

by Diane Lennox

  “Father?”

  “Yes.”

  “I feel I should warn you I will be causing a little chaos, but I want you to remember that I love this family more than anything. My being away for so long wasn’t because I wanted to be away from my family, but because I felt it was best for all of us. I couldn’t be in Yves’ shadow.”

  “I know.”

  Evgeni nodded a little. He wasn’t about to let even his father know everything he had in mind. All that mattered to him was that his father understood that Evgeni’s manipulative ways were going to be used lovingly, not maliciously.

  Julius stepped forward and took Evgeni’s hand for a moment, giving it a loving squeeze. “You just get a good rest tonight.”

  “I’ll try,” Evgeni said, returning the squeeze.

  “Goodnight, Geni,” Julius said then headed for the door, pausing for a moment before leaving completely. “I’m glad you’ve come home.”

  “Me too,” Evgeni said then watched his father head off.

  He spent a few minutes circling his room, reacquainting himself with it. He wished he felt more at home in the space, but he knew that was going to take time. He really did appreciate that Kai kept it clean though. Returning home to a dusty, forgotten room would have made everything that much harder.

  There was another room he wanted to visit though and once he was certain neither his brother nor father would be lingering about he made his way down the hall to Rafe’s room and stepped inside.

  Unlike Evgeni’s room, Rafe’s room definitely had his personality all over it. There was his high end computer set up at his desk, his bookshelf filled with programming manuals and computer games, and pictures of fantastical landscapes and cities neatly framed and displayed in a tasteful fashion all along the walls. Even his bed and drapes were more interesting than Evgeni’s own with their embroidered leaf motifs on a back drop of dark green.

  Evgeni made his way over to his brother’s bed and sat down on it with a small sigh. His and Rafe’s relationship was quite different considering Rafe was only ten when Evgeni moved away, but Evgeni knew Rafe still trusted him as a brother. It was obvious during their strange, philosophical conversations they had late at night when they would both admit they didn’t exactly relate to people the same way others did. Julius held some of the same darkness the two of them seemed to have, but Yves did not. Yves was a brat and a diva, but he was also quite pure in his own way.

  Gods, what was Yves thinking?

  Evgeni’s eyes suddenly darkened as he glared off. No, he wouldn’t blame his brother for this mess, not entirely. Yves hadn’t always been like this – obsessed with image and stature. He’d been slowly poisoned by a fucking snake for a decade before the monster turned on him in the end.

  One day Evgeni was going to make Gabriel Claymore, no, Gabriel Greyson, pay for what he did to Yves. Though Gabriel had been a Claymore at the time, Evgeni didn’t want that snake associated with the Claymores either. Poor Jack, he’d been used just as badly as Yves.

  Gabriel Greyson was Yves’ former stage partner during the height of his glory days. The two of them were unstoppable together and were the reason the Gardenia Theatre became arguably the best theatre in the entire province, possibly the entire country. However, once Gabriel realized he wasn’t going to get his sticky little fingers involved in the Gardenia Theatre when he stepped down from acting he showed his true colours and ran off to Grey River and joined the Smyth Theatre as director. And, as much as Evgeni was loathe to admit, the man was doing an amazing job down there. Gabriel may be a snake, but he was talented, and Evgeni had to make sure the Smyth Theatre didn’t do better than the Gardenia Theatre, especially now that that rivalry was heating up.

  As for the situation with Rafe, Evgeni knew he was going to have to act fast, though he had no idea how he was going to manage that. Yves was holding on to ideals that weren’t even his own and Evgeni doubted Yves realized it at all or would want to realize it. Bringing up Gabriel was likely to make things worse and cause Yves to lash out, or alternatively, close up.

  Damn it, Rafe was a Desjardins through and through, even if Yves couldn’t see it right now. He was a snob, cunning, and manipulative when he wanted to be, just like the rest of his family. He was also incredibly talented, ambitious, and well respected in his field. Also only a Desjardins would be so bold as to run off with one of the most dangerous men in the city and tell their family to deal with it.

  But despite how amazing Rafe was, he was still sickly, both physically and mentally at times, and Evgeni loathed the idea of Rafe having to fend for himself or be taken care of by people who didn’t know him well. He couldn’t understand how Yves could put Rafe in that position and not feel horrible about it. For now though Evgeni didn’t mind Rafe being with the Warricks. He knew he was very safe there since it was Shar Warrick who had saved him those many years ago and definitely had a soft spot for Rafe, but he didn’t want him to go anywhere else.

  Tomorrow Evgeni was going to go over there to see his little brother. He knew it could possibly cause a scandal if anyone saw him, and it would probably piss off Yves and Julius, but he didn’t care, not this time. There was going to be plenty of scandal going on soon enough and quite frankly Evgeni revelled in it. He loved causing a stir, and the mess he was about to cause was going to be for the greater good. He was going to save his theatre and his family, even if it meant going up against both.

  Episode 2

  Leander Kane woke to the sound of electronic chimes ringing.

  “Huh?” He groaned to himself, confused at first until he placed the sound and groggily reached for his cell phone and glanced at the caller ID. Alexei.

  He immediately sat up and answered. “Alexei?”

  “Leander!” Alexei exclaimed, his voice sounding uncharacteristically desperate.

  “Is everything alright?” Leander asked and glanced to his clock. It wasn’t even eight yet.

  “Of course it isn’t! I have no idea whether or not I’m even supposed to be calling you, but I didn’t want you or Simon to think I was mad at either of you. I barely slept all night because I’ve been so stressed out.”

  Leander knew it wasn’t entirely proper for Alexei to be calling, but he was glad he did. Generally speaking, when one member of a clan had a problem with someone, that meant his whole clan did too. In this case, it meant that it would perfectly acceptable for Alexei to side with his father and not only be upset with Lazarus, but the whole Kane clan as well. Leander was glad Alexei didn’t seem to care about that because it would have made things a lot harder for Leander if he did.

  There was stirring to Leander’s right and he looked to see Simon slowly sit up and rub at his eyes.

  “One sec, I’m going to put you on speaker,” Leander said then crawled off his bed and moved to Simon’s. He put the phone on speaker as promised and set it between himself and his twin. “Simon’s here too.”

  “Alexei? Are you alright?” Simon asked. His voice was rough with sleep and his brows furrowed in concern.

  “No! I have no idea what happened last night and I couldn’t sleep and I’m so scared I won’t be able to see either of you again.”

  “We won’t let that happen,” Leander said. “We’ll fix this, I promise.”

  “How can you be so certain?” Alexei asked and Leander swore he could hear a little sniffle. Was Alexei crying?

  “Because I’m a stubborn brat and I will have what I want,” Leander said, wishing he could reach through the phone and hug Alexei close. “I’m going to speak to my grandfather more today and once I do we’ll phone you back and tell you everything we know. Please, have faith in me, Alexei.”

  “Leander wants to take the lead in fixing this rift between our fathers and I intend on supporting him however I can,” Simon added. “I’m just as scared as you, Alexei, but we must trust Leander and do what we can to help.”

  “Alright,” Alexei said with a shaky sigh. “I’m sorry, you both probably think I’m
so pathetic right now.”

  “Hardly,” Leander said then smirked a little, glancing up at Simon. “Simon was just as distraught last night, trust me.”

  Alexei chuckled softly, though it still sounded a bit off. “Were you, Simon-khan?”

  “I was,” Simon admitted, sending a harmless little glare Leander’s way. “The idea of you being taken away rattled me terribly. Leander had to take me to my favourite spots downtown to distract me and cheer me up. In happier news, we found a new jewelry shop together, and I intend to take you there as soon as I can. We’re both certain you’d love it.”

  “I’m sure I will. Gods, I wish I was with you two right now.”

  “The feeling is mutual,” Simon said.

  “Seconded,” Leander chimed in. “But you will be with us again soon, I promise.” He paused for a moment, wondering if he should say what he wanted to, but then quickly came to a decision. He felt quite confident that Alexei wouldn’t mind hearing something rather blunt if it was in the spirit of comforting him. “To be honest, I’m kind of glad you’re this upset, Alexei, it makes me feel better knowing I’m not the only one. And I want you to know that I think you’re amazing for being brave enough to show this side of yourself to us. You’re just so genuine in all your emotions and it’s one of my favourite things about you. I probably would be more of a mess myself right now, but I know that I have to stay strong so I can make you and Simon happy again.”

  “That’s not fair to you though. You shouldn’t have to take that all on yourself,” Alexei replied.

  “Oh gods, not you too,” Leander said with a roll of his eyes. “I had a very similar conversation with Simon last night. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to take care of me in the future, Alexei, but out of the three of us I feel I’m the best equipped to deal with this problem and I want to do it. Do you not think me capable?”

  “I don’t think that at all! I just feel bad,” Alexei said.

  “Well stop it. Now are you willing to start following my orders?” Leander asked.

  “Yes, Leander-khan.”

  Leander blinked, momentarily taken off guard. The last time he was referred to as Leander-khan was back in grade school by his younger classmates and even then he didn’t much care for it. “First order, no calling me Leander-khan. It sounds wrong.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Gah! No ‘sir’ either!” Leander exclaimed.

  Alexei chuckled. “But how am I supposed to refer to you respectfully then?”

  “I don’t want you to, we’re friends.”

  “But you’re in charge right now.”

  “I don’t care,” Leander said as he crossed his arms across his chest and pouted a little. “Calling me Leander-khan or sir just sounds like you’re making fun of me. I’m perfectly aware that I don’t have the right disposition to be referred to as strongly as that.”

  “Hmm… hey Simon-khan?” Alexei asked.

  “Yes?” Simon answered.

  “Does Leander have any nicknames?”

  “No,” Simon replied, but then a moment later started to smirk fondly. “But I did call him Leelee when we were very young.”

  “Perfect! I will now call you Lee-lette, Leander, to show my respect and affection,” Alexei announced.

  Leander blushed hotly and looked down at his lap. Adding “-ette” to someone’s name was akin to adding “-khan”, but was usually reserved for someone younger, softer, or in a lower position in a chosen field of work than the person saying it. It was primarily used to show respect, affection, and admiration, and it wasn’t something thrown around lightly. Having that sort of title meant the bearer was seen as someone quite special.

  “Um, Leander, is that alright?” Alexei asked after Leander remained quiet for some time.

  “Yes,” Leander said quietly then buried his face in his hands, feeling incredibly overwhelmed.

  “Is he okay, Simon-khan?” Alexei asked.

  Simon chuckled. “I think you may have broke him, Alexei. He’s blushing and hiding, but I think he’s very pleased with his new title.”

  “Are you, Lee-lette?”

  Leander let out a small squeak and curled up, hiding his face in his knees. Nobody had ever bestowed the “-ette” upon him before and it made Leander feel intensely special, especially coming from someone he was very fond of.

  Simon laughed. “Did you hear him squeak, Alexei? He’s being so shy.”

  “Aww, I’m sorry! I’ll stop if it makes you uncomfortable, Leander!”

  “No,” Leander immediately replied. “I’m just not used to anyone outside of my family being so sweet to me. It makes me squirmy, but not in a bad way.”

  Alexei laughed. “Squirmy?”

  “Yes! It makes me want to squirm because I don’t know what else to do!”

  Both Alexei and Simon were laughing now, but Leander didn’t mind, not when their mirth was so obviously full of fondness.

  “Are you going to call him Lee-lette now too, Simon-khan?” Alexei asked.

  “No, I shall leave that as something special between you two,” Simon replied.

  “I don’t mind sharing.”

  Simon smiled. “I know, but I like it better like this.”

  “As you wish!”

  “Well now that we have that settled, we should move onto order number two,” Leander said and did his best to regain his composure though his cheeks still felt rather warm. “You need to go back to bed, Alexei, and get some proper rest now that we’ve sorted out that none of us are angry at the other for what happened with our fathers. Although, that being said, I still want to apologize, Alexei. I am so very, very sorry for whatever happened.”

  “I know, but I’m still pretty upset about the whole thing. It’s very unusual for my father to cry.”

  “We’re sorry, Alexei,” Simon said and bowed his head even though Alexei wouldn’t be able to see it. “Our father should not have made yours cry. We’ll find out what happened and make sure it never happens again.”

  “I know. I just… I don’t understand. Your father was friendly and nice to me when I met him.”

  “I don’t understand either, Alexei, the whole situation seems very weird to me too. I’d like to think I know my father quite well, but this time I’m at a loss,” Leander replied. “I’m going to try to find out what actually happened as soon as possible.”

  “Alright,” Alexei said with a sigh. “Lee-lette?”

  Leander blushed and squirmed a little again. “Yes?”

  “Can I sneakily visit you two at school on Monday? Or is that not a good idea?”

  “Please do,” Leander immediately replied. “I know it’s not entirely proper considering the rift between our two families at the moment, but I can’t stand the thought of not seeing you as soon as I can.”

  “Me either. I just want to make sure you two are okay with it.”

  “Very okay,” Simon said.

  “Well then that’s settled,” Leander said. “We’ll text or call you as soon as we have more information, but in the meantime, Alexei, go get some rest.”

  “I’ll try,” Alexei said with a sigh.

  “Good. Take care, Alexei, we’ll speak soon.”

  “You too, Lee-lette. And you take care too, Simon-khan.”

  “You as well, Alexei,” Simon said.

  “Bye!”

  The call ended, and despite the situation being far from ideal, Leander couldn’t help but smile down at his phone as he thought of how much Alexei must care for them to be this upset.

  “I’m so in love with him,” Leander announced.

  “Should I be worried?” Simon asked and looked at him with such a fond expression it made Leander feel as though he could melt under its warmth.

  “No, I promise I have no intention of stealing him from you,” Leander said, staring back affectionately at his twin.

  He wondered if he would ever find someone himself. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t interested in romance, but he just hadn’t fou
nd anyone who was, well, better than Simon. He knew it was really weird to have his twin as a standard, but it was true. If he was going to date someone he’d have to be at least as handsome, smart, and intriguing as Simon, or else what was the point? He may as well just hang out with his brother like he usually did. He certainly wasn’t going to settle for anything less.

  “Do you think I’ll ever find someone?” Leander asked.

  “Of course you will,” Simon replied and the fondness faded from his eyes to be replaced with a strange sort of dullness.

  Leander tilted his head at his brother. “Either you don’t believe that or you aren’t happy about it.”

  Simon smirked. “I do believe it, in fact I’m surprised you haven’t found someone already.”

  “But you don’t want me to find someone?”

  Simon glanced up at him. “When I said I wanted to court Alexei you were worried about me being stolen away from you. Why would I feel any differently when you find someone?”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Leander said with a little smirk. “But you needn’t worry. I wouldn’t court anyone you didn’t approve of or didn’t like.”

  Simon shook his head. “You shouldn’t worry about that, not if you found someone you truly liked.”

  “Simon, my relationship with you is the most important thing to me in the entire world. No man will ever come between you and I. And I’ll be honest, if I didn’t adore Alexei like I do, I wouldn’t hesitate to keep you two apart by any means necessary.”

  Simon studied him rather intensely for a moment, their matching dark brown eyes locking onto each other. “You truly mean that, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. I didn’t really care for the other men you dated in our first year at University, but I could tell you weren’t that interested. I figured you simply wanted to see what dating was like and I didn’t see the harm in that. Had you decided to get more serious I would have said something,” Leander said then turned his own studious gaze back onto Simon. “I also don’t believe for a second that you’d let me date just anyone, I know how protective you are of me.”