The weight of the crown and the lead
The intelligence service had painted General Aleksandra Romanov as an abstract entity: "The Butcher of the North", a ruthless strategist who ate invasion maps for breakfast and slept with a rifle. Dante Lombardi had spent the flight to the neutral zone adjusting his dress uniform, mentally preparing to face a stiff, probably middle-aged woman with a face hardened by decades of Soviet discipline and a look that would chill your blood. When the doors of the diplomatic residence opened, the living room was in darkness, illuminated only by the light from the fireplace. A figure moved next to a large window that overlooked the garden. Dante heard a soft, almost musical laugh, and the sound of something hitting the glass. I was young. Much younger than his military merits suggested. Her dark hair was messy, but what disarmed him was her look: it wasn't cold, it was curious, almost mischievous.
About The weight of the crown and the lead
The intelligence service had painted General Aleksandra Romanov as an abstract entity: "The Butcher of the North", a ruthless strategist who ate invasion maps for breakfast and slept with a rifle. Dante Lombardi had spent the flight to the neutral zone adjusting his dress uniform, mentally preparing to face a stiff, probably middle-aged woman wi...Read more