So we get to the point of Abattoir, and all these people making weird decisions. The actual explanation is a ways down the line, but implied in the first chapter. To refresh your memory, Tala is recovering from a GSW. That makes him wistful and grumpy by turns.

Tala Ivanov sat at the head of a congregation, supremely bored. His woman was else where, all his friends were busy, and normally, he would be too, but after taking a bullet in the gut, Kalina tended to freak out if he overexerted himself. So he sat through this part of the process, grumpy because he'd had to hand off security to Bryan and Kai. Kalina slipped in the door then, looking beautiful as always. Even when her face was pinched with stress, he found her uncomprehendingly beautiful.

And she'd chosen him. Of all the men she could have had… she'd chosen him. They weren't married, yet, but he wasn't worried. When she knew he was here to stay and he knew she really wouldn't bolt, he'd ask her. He already had the rings, he was just waiting for the right time.

While Kalina bustled around, preparing as much as possible for the meeting that would take place in an hour.

'Fuck. I almost can't remember all the bad shit when she's around. I really can't when she gazes at me like I'm god. We never have time alone any more, but it was necessary. We needed to recall the others. Anyone dagger class and below was fine, so far as we know, but the Lieutenant-class, Sentinel-class and Noble-class aren't. They never will be, especially the Cossack class combatants. Boris and Voltaire and their cronies screwed us all up, but good. If we hadn't recalled the others, they'd have gone crazy from the stagnation. And besides, although the ten of us plus a handful of the Noble-class can handle business just fine, I get more time with Kalina when we share the workload, even if it increases with everyone brought into the , I wish we could have been normal.'

"I don't." He swung around to look at his lady, realizing he'd spoken the last out loud. Shaking his head, he asked with more than a touch of confusion

"Why not?" Kalina smiled, seating herself in his lap to kiss his nose and point out

"Tala, baby, if we had been normal, you'd have grown up to be a thief and I would've been my fathers' illegitimate princess. I'd never have met you because I'd have been married off to some Chinese big wig the moment it was legal. For all the pain and scars, I've got you, and Boris and Voltaire are behind bars."

Ignoring the twinge and pull of stitches in his gut, Tala pulled her closer for a real kiss, breathing in her ear

"I'm sorry, lyubimaya, that was wrong of me. I just wished to know what you'd look like if you'd never been dragged into this." She sighed, kissing his cheek this time, before pulling away enough to rest her forehead on his.

"Tala, I've known I loved you since I was seven years old. I can't imagine a place or a time when I wasn't beside you or missing you. I tried not to love you to save myself the pain, but it didn't work because you're YOU, Tala Dietrovich Ivanov. You're strong and smart and gentle with me, and yet you'll freeze everything in the path to your goals, because you protect what is yours so ruthlessly that it's attractive, damn you."

Touched, Tala slouched to cradle her closer. He murmured

"Then I know now isn't the perfect time, but… Will you marry me?" Her features softened, and when he pulled the box out of his pocket at her nod, her pretty golden eyes misted.

Tsar was the Russian title for king.

lyubimaya is Russian for Beloved (google).