Way of No Return (Champions of the Crystal Book 8)

Chapter 24: Cleaning Up

For the next week, Ford came home dutifully every night, though after a long day of politics and paperwork, the last thing he wanted to do was have another argument with his unusually temperamental wife. He knew it was hard to live in a new place not large enough to accommodate even their reduced staff and how difficult Sabrina found it to manage without Ranja and Kendara, whom she was so used to relying on. But she did not seem to appreciate how difficult their situation was for him, and he missed Lien's cheerful presence, even more since Sastarn had adopted his new attitude of rigid formality. He wanted to take Stecklan back once Sabrina was assigned a new bodyguard, Kelja Terel, but Sabrina's immediate, tearful distress stopped the conversation almost instantly.

So when the Assistant Steward entered the vault office to announce that Zepharan nar Kelar wished a few moments of his time, Ford jumped up and startled his old friend with a suffocating hug. "Zeph! Come in, sit down, tell me your war story. Rescue me from my misery."

Ford made a sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire palace construction site, but more particularly the piles of datapads stacking up on his console. Zepharan grinned. "So fatherhood has made you responsible, has it?"

"Lack of anyone else to pick up the slack has made me responsible," Ford grumbled, dropping back into his chair.

"Sabrina's not working? I'd heard she was badly hurt in the invasion." Zepharan sat on the only other chair and looked closely at his friend.

"That's a long story. She is working, but I've tried to limit what she has to wrestle with. Motherhood is a job in itself, particularly since Lily was born so early and needs a lot of attention. And we've taken on the Cadolar children until Ranja recovers, plus my sister refuses to go home yet. So Sabrina's stuck in a tiny house stuffed with children and staff in various degrees of unhappiness at any given moment," Ford said. "Do you have time to visit her? She'd love to see you."

"Yes, I'd hoped to. I wasn't sure if visitors were allowed—there are all kinds of stories going around. Will I be allowed to meet your daughter as well?"

"Oh yes, you could hardly avoid that," Ford chuckled. "What is your schedule like? Can you come home with me? You may have to sleep in a bathtub, but we'll figure something out."

Zepharan chuckled. "I've cleared my week. Aurora said you were in far more need of me than any of my other clients possibly could be."

"Ah. You've spoken to her, then."

"Yes, when I finally managed to get some com time. I would have been here earlier, but suborbital transport is even harder to come by than intercontinental com time. If it weren't for Aurora, I'd probably still be listening to people tell me it's impossible."

"I'm sick of that word," Ford said.

"Yes, you know it's bad if people are saying that to the Heir," Zepharan agreed, sobering. "I'm sorry about your sister, by the way. And your Aunt Imari. Is there any word about your parents and Scotty?"

"Not yet. We know some of what must have happened, and of course if Mother were well, they'd be here by now," Ford said. "But we know she's still alive. We keep telling ourselves it's just a matter of waiting."

"Which isn't easy," Zepharan said. "Well, I won't keep you from your work, unless there's something I could help with?"

"No, it's all legislative work today. Oh—I know something you could do that would help, after all."

"I am at your service."

"My chauffeur's angry because his girlfriend got hurt while she was with me. It's a long story, but she ended up with a Kyan weapon grafted onto her hand. They're planning to amputate eventually and grow her a new hand, but meanwhile she's something of an ongoing experiment. I feel rotten about it, and I'd stop it if she asked me, but she says this is her contribution to our defenses, in case they come back. Because they probably will, you know."

"Oh. No, I had the impression we had annihilated the invasion force."

"We did, but there are almost certainly more out there, and they all communicate on some level we haven't quite penetrated. The ones who come next will have learned from their comrades' defeat. It will be harder next time."

"Ah. This is not, I take it, for general consumption?"

"It's not something we talk about. And it's the part I'm trying to keep away from Sabrina right now. It's not just cleaning up and rebuilding; it's getting ready for the next round, whenever it comes."

"I see." Zepharan mulled this over. "So you want me to go tell your chauffeur that he should support his girlfriend's patriotism and get over it?"

"Not in so many words, no. But if you could just talk to him, let him vent, maybe he would be able to stand the sight of me a bit better. I don't think he has anyone to listen. He and Lien were friends—that's part of it too. I blame myself for Lien's death, so I can hardly resent it if he does too. But what happened to Lyrabeth was an accident, pure and simple."

"I'll see what I can do. Meanwhile, if you have some time to think in between all this," Zepharan said, getting up and gesturing around, "think seriously about whether this is a good time for you to be creating distance between you and your wife. No matter how pure your intentions may be."

Ford scowled. "Talk to Sabrina before you blame all this on me, Zeph. She's not herself. She's grieving and trying to run a household full of kids and desperately worried about Scotty and my parents and Khediva. And dealing with all the documentation the war generated. See for yourself before you tell me I should be letting her carry part of this load too."

"My point," Zepharan said, spreading his hands, "was simply that it's not up to you to 'let' her do anything. She's your co-ruler and co-Heir. The only person who can really tell her what to do is the King."

Ford shook his head. "Maybe I should let her take over the Heir duties, then. She'd listen to Baldaran better than she listens to me. Go talk to Sastarn, Zeph. It's bad form to diagnose a problem you've only seen half of. For all of five minutes, at that. And at secondhand from Aurora, unless I miss my guess."

"Yes, your royal highness." Zepharan sketched a bow, smiled, and left.