§ As I emerged from sleep, I became aware of two things: First, I had fallen asleep without planning to, which almost never happens. Second, I was once again in an Illusory Reality. The distinctive different texture of existence couldn’t be anything else. Then I became aware of the arms around me and the warm neighbor hugging me from behind. …

§ As I watched Mireia drowse, clad only in a thin layer of moisture, with Rod’s arm draped over her from where he lay on her opposite side, it felt a bit surreal. Even weirder to me was her hand still firmly clutching mine as the pair quietly slept in my bed. I think it was the juxtaposition of the …

§ From not long after my arrival on Huade, my morals have largely been Tiana’s. Robert’s feelings didn’t vanish as I assimilated Tiana’s values, but Tiana’s reinforced the Catholic values that Jennifer Stewart worked so hard to instill in her kids. Perhaps her effort was hypocritical, considering her failure to marry either Robert’s father or either of his sister’s fathers, …

§ The couple entered the room behind Genette. I shook my head slightly and stood as they came in. Rod still wore what I saw him in last, his military uniform, as pressed and polished as always. His golden blond hair was, as always, neatly combed. My fiancé is never anything but a perfectly dapper clotheshorse, following in the footsteps …

§ Beretin’s warehouses held quite an assortment of goods. Much of it was disturbing contraband, but most items couldn’t be characterized as illegal, per se. At least, not before he actually attempted to ship them out of the country. For example, it was no surprise, since we already knew about the slave girls who were almost certainly breeding stock for …

§ When I returned to my office, I began reading Inda’s ‘cheat sheet’ notebook, quickly reviewing the government structure because I realized I barely knew anything about the ‘six ministries’ that Gyges mentioned earlier.  Tiana had certainly memorized as a child that the ducal government divides into Constabulary and Judicial Affairs, Academies and Examinations, Public Works and Commerce, Military and …

§ When I approached the woman, a fortyish powder-blue-haired Dorian wearing the castle’s standard eggplant-colored court lady dress, my ears had been picking up her heart. I’ve mentioned before how sensitive my hearing is, but I’ve probably not mentioned that when I draw very close to someone, their heart becomes audible to me. After all, most of the time, I’m …

§ Benedetta is a sensible woman. Although she remained apologetic, when I made it clear we needed to get on with business, she went right to work. By which I mean, she practically took over. In response to my request to move our discussion to a better location than a dusty store room in the basement (dungeon) of the castle, …

§ About an hour after our lunch ended, I went to the dungeon. Okay, let me make it clear, the old dungeon of Narses Castle ceased operating as a prison centuries ago, that function having been moved to the Aldat Citadel in Upper Town. The only thing in the Castle even vaguely resembling a jail is a small holding cell …

§ Thinking that Rod might have been getting sick of eating Dorian one meal after the next and wanting something familiar, I asked them to serve Atian cuisine for lunch. But Mother’s private dining room as master of this castle was in use as the Army’s war room, so the castle steward decided to have our lunch served on the …