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Authors: Breeana Puttroff
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up something and then coming too.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Is Sophia gone, then?”
“Yes. She left for several days to visit a friend of hers somewhere. Jonathan is escorting her, but he’ll be back tomorrow morning.” The look on her face was a little too gleeful to be polite.
Not that Zander blamed her. “Nice to have her gone?”
Linnea grimaced. “There was a big fight this afternoon before she left because she wanted to take Samuel with her.”
His eyes bugged. “For several days?”
“Uh-huh.”
“So he could starve to death?”
“Oh, no, no. That was part of her argument. Samuel needs to get used to a wet nurse. Her friend has one, but Quinn really needs to spend some time while she’s gone looking for one to hire. Sophia left a list of suggested ones, of course.”
“Yeah, this just went into territory above my pay grade.”
Linnea giggled – he hadn’t seen her this happy in a while. “Anyway, she’s gone, the fight is over, and Samuel is right here. We’re celebrating. Join us.”
“All right.”
Most every evening, Sophia insisted on a formal, four-course dinner in the dining room. Two nights ago, he’d had to stand guard in full uniform while everyone ate at the long table attended by servants who cleared the dishes between every course.
He’d attended some of the meals himself, as well, but he usually tried to avoid them. Conversation around the table was stiff, polite, and boring – though with Sophia boring was often preferable to interesting .
Dinners back in Eirentheos had been the opposite. William’s family rarely used the formal dining room outside of special occasions and entertaining guests. Although they shared a number of meals together at a table in a smaller dining room, the evening meal was almost always upstairs in the family’s private common room, with everyone in comfortable chairs, children running in and out, several games going, and raucous, teasing laughter ringing from every couch.
When he’d first come here, he’d found those dinners overwhelming. He’d often taken a plate of food back to his room so he could eat in peace. It surprised him now to realize he missed it. Exhausted as he was, he didn’t want to miss the Philothean version of one tonight.
He followed Linnea to the common room near Quinn and William’s rooms.
James Blackwelder had recently begun his shift watching the infant prince and whoever was caring for him. He maintained a respectful distance behind them, but when they reached the common room, Linnea invited him inside as well.
Although he wanted nothing more than to collapse on one of the couches and close his eyes for a minute, the presence of the guard stopped him. James was around the same age as Zander, but he’d completed his apprenticeship over a cycle ago – what would have been ten years in Bristlecone. He knew James often completed a ten hour shift only to turn around and take on an extra one after only a few hours’ rest.
So, instead of sitting, he asked Linnea if he could hold the baby for a few minutes, to give her arms a rest.
“Sure,” she said, handing him over. “He needs a diaper change, too.”
“Where’s Mia?” he asked, only half joking.
Linnea’s eyes narrowed. “She’s joining us for dinner as well. She ended up spending half the afternoon packing trunks for Sophia, so I sent her to take a break and get a bath if she wanted. The diapers are in that bag over on the chair.”
He didn’t actually mind spending time with the baby, though at times it was hard because being around small children made him miss his own little sisters at home. It hurt too much to consider the possibility – the likelihood – that he would never see Ashley or his Sophia again.
Purposefully keeping his mind from going there, he carried Samuel over to one of the couches on the far side of the room, pulling a blanket off the back to lay him on before opening the diaper bag.
This common room itself was a
He raised an eyebrow. “Is Sophia gone, then?”
“Yes. She left for several days to visit a friend of hers somewhere. Jonathan is escorting her, but he’ll be back tomorrow morning.” The look on her face was a little too gleeful to be polite.
Not that Zander blamed her. “Nice to have her gone?”
Linnea grimaced. “There was a big fight this afternoon before she left because she wanted to take Samuel with her.”
His eyes bugged. “For several days?”
“Uh-huh.”
“So he could starve to death?”
“Oh, no, no. That was part of her argument. Samuel needs to get used to a wet nurse. Her friend has one, but Quinn really needs to spend some time while she’s gone looking for one to hire. Sophia left a list of suggested ones, of course.”
“Yeah, this just went into territory above my pay grade.”
Linnea giggled – he hadn’t seen her this happy in a while. “Anyway, she’s gone, the fight is over, and Samuel is right here. We’re celebrating. Join us.”
“All right.”
Most every evening, Sophia insisted on a formal, four-course dinner in the dining room. Two nights ago, he’d had to stand guard in full uniform while everyone ate at the long table attended by servants who cleared the dishes between every course.
He’d attended some of the meals himself, as well, but he usually tried to avoid them. Conversation around the table was stiff, polite, and boring – though with Sophia boring was often preferable to interesting .
Dinners back in Eirentheos had been the opposite. William’s family rarely used the formal dining room outside of special occasions and entertaining guests. Although they shared a number of meals together at a table in a smaller dining room, the evening meal was almost always upstairs in the family’s private common room, with everyone in comfortable chairs, children running in and out, several games going, and raucous, teasing laughter ringing from every couch.
When he’d first come here, he’d found those dinners overwhelming. He’d often taken a plate of food back to his room so he could eat in peace. It surprised him now to realize he missed it. Exhausted as he was, he didn’t want to miss the Philothean version of one tonight.
He followed Linnea to the common room near Quinn and William’s rooms.
James Blackwelder had recently begun his shift watching the infant prince and whoever was caring for him. He maintained a respectful distance behind them, but when they reached the common room, Linnea invited him inside as well.
Although he wanted nothing more than to collapse on one of the couches and close his eyes for a minute, the presence of the guard stopped him. James was around the same age as Zander, but he’d completed his apprenticeship over a cycle ago – what would have been ten years in Bristlecone. He knew James often completed a ten hour shift only to turn around and take on an extra one after only a few hours’ rest.
So, instead of sitting, he asked Linnea if he could hold the baby for a few minutes, to give her arms a rest.
“Sure,” she said, handing him over. “He needs a diaper change, too.”
“Where’s Mia?” he asked, only half joking.
Linnea’s eyes narrowed. “She’s joining us for dinner as well. She ended up spending half the afternoon packing trunks for Sophia, so I sent her to take a break and get a bath if she wanted. The diapers are in that bag over on the chair.”
He didn’t actually mind spending time with the baby, though at times it was hard because being around small children made him miss his own little sisters at home. It hurt too much to consider the possibility – the likelihood – that he would never see Ashley or his Sophia again.
Purposefully keeping his mind from going there, he carried Samuel over to one of the couches on the far side of the room, pulling a blanket off the back to lay him on before opening the diaper bag.
This common room itself was a
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