Santana yawned, grogginess still having a firm hold on her. Through squinted eyes, she could just make out the color of the High Winter morning through the curtains. She guessed it was about eight o'clock. She pulled Rachel closer, and closed her eyes again.


Nigel fidgeted, shifting in the hay. He always came down to the hound pen to think. Gavin and Angua stayed in the Manor, of course, but her grace had a number of fine hounds from the Lowlands that she'd used for hunting long before the two Huskies showed up. He was wedged between Sator and Oz, thinking of his next words. He'd gotten as far as, "Dear Sugar, I hope your schooling is going well. I was in the battle, but I'm fine," before he'd stopped. He didn't really know how to explain his injury. He lifted his shirt a bit, examining the fine scales that glowed with a slightly silver tint. Every morning, he'd check to see if they'd gone away, but they hadn't yet. He sighed, crumpled up his parchment, and stood to tend to the horses.


Rachel awoke more relaxed than she'd been in months. She could hear Santana snoring softly behind her, and Tasi stirring in her crib in the nursery. Cordelia had taken ill in the Uplands, so Rachel had given her some time off. She rose to fetch the baby, and was overcome by a sense of peace as she rocked the young princess a few moments later. She felt it odd that she no longer shared these moments with the baby, and wondered what other services Cordelia could offer, rather than tending to the princess each morning.


It seemed as though all of the Lowlands had risen late that day. At very least, petitioners and lower nobles stayed away from the Manor, giving Santana a chance to catch up on the state of things. It had been three weeks since she and Rachel had reunited, and things were just beginning to feel normal again. Which was why, even though Mercedes had written to welcome her to the Eastern Range, she was hesitant to go. Everything was good, and she didn't want to lose that yet. Still, she had a knot in her stomach and heart about the law enforcement reforms that had begun the previous year. It needed to be done.

A knock came at the door, and Asa, who was now more or less Santana's personal bodyguard, stuck his head into the room. "Madam, your lunch appointment is here," he said with a smile.

"Lunch appointment? I didn't know I had anything scheduled."

"You do now," Rachel said, sweeping into the room with Tasi on her hip. A servant followed closely, wheeling a lunch trolley into the room. Rachel dismissed him a wave and thanks.

Santana smiled brightly and stood to hug her little family. "Have things become so bad that you have to schedule appointments to see me?" She said it in a joking way, but there was a small twinge of guilt in her heart about it.

"Of course not, love," Rachel said, handing the baby over. She grinned as Santana immediately started cooing over her. "I simply told everyone that we had serious business to discuss so that they'd stay away for a couple of hours."

"Or come eavesdrop at the door," Santana laughed.

"Ye of little faith. Now, let's sit and eat. I shudder to think of what your diet has been like lately."

"I've not been that bad!" Santana protested, tucking Tasi into her baby swing.

"Really? Because Nigel mentioned three straight days of bacon sandwiches," Rachel countered, trying not to laugh.

"While we were traveling." Santana served them both sandwiches while Rachel dished out the summer salad and melon. "Bacon sandwiches are a necessity on the road. I've been eating well since we got back, Lopez Honor."

"At least when you're out on the Eastern Range, I can count on Lady Mercedes to provide healthy meals. Both coasts have plenty of seafood and - what?" Rachel asked, spotting Santana's confused expression.

"How did you know I was going? Mercedes only wrote just recently."

"Love, you had made up your mind the moment you spoke with me about it over fire message," Rachel said. "As long as her grace can ensure your safety, I think all will be well."

"Extra security details have already started - so that the prisoners won't know something is up if a hundred more guards show up out of the blue. She has the prisoners from the rebellion split up in two sections that I won't visit, so there shouldn't be any unrest there. And I'll be dressed as a Guard of House Jones. I expect most won't recognize me. She has about seven contingency plans for immediate exit if there is unrest, however."

Rachel nodded. "As long as she keeps you safe, that's all I care about. On a...vaguely related subject. Well, related to the recent unrest."

"Yes?"

"I've appointed one of the Rangers to begin training with the Guards. I'd like her to be in my personal service."

"Of course - as you like. Which Ranger is this?" Santana asked, mentally scanning through all of the faces she'd thanked upon Rachel's return.

"Dani LaCroix. The one with the bright teal hair."

Santana prided herself on her poker face. It was one of the many things her father had taught her early on, so she'd spent years perfecting it. However, she knew her wife saw the tiniest flicker of a grimace before she got it under control again. She'd told Rachel most of what had happened in the Huds years before. But one of the few things she'd left out was the vision Sue had shown her - of a beautiful teal-haired woman trying for Rachel's affections….

"What is it?" Rachel asked.

"Nothing," Santana said lightly. "I'm being silly."

"It's not silly if it genuinely upsets you. What's wrong?"

"I think I've...seen her before, but not really. It's complicated - please don't be upset when I tell you." Briefly, and embarrassed that this was even bothering her, Santana explained the vision to Rachel. To her immense relief, Rachel didn't laugh or dismiss her worries.

Instead, the younger woman seemed to think for a moment. "I...I don't know much of magic… but I have asked Ridcully a few questions, when my history lessons brought up important Mage activity. And...I think what you saw was real, but not contextually accurate." Rachel did laugh when Santana quirked an eyebrow at her. "What I mean is, the Sorceress probably had the gift of foresight. For Finn, he grew up and is doing wonderful things, so she had to outright lie about his men abandoning him, as is his fear. For you, she was able to take a real vision and twist it to match your fear of me leaving you. I assume, sometime in the future, I'll do a show and Corporal LaCroix will present me with flowers. She seems the gentlemanly type."

Santana smiled, and nodded. "I'll leave it to you to appoint her, then."

They ate quietly for a while, but when lunch was finished and the dishes had been stacked on the trolley, Rachel walked around to the other side of the desk. Santana pulled her into her lap and kissed her shoulder gently.

"When do you leave?" Rachel asked.

"Mercedes has invited me for the Year's Feast."

"So in a few days."

"I won't go if you don't want me to," Santana said earnestly.

"But you must. This will weigh on your spirit until you do. Tasi and I will be fine. We'll do some minor celebration for the Year's Feast, and you make sure you do your own celebrating. Before the tour of gloom, preferably…."

Santana grinned at her wife. "Mercedes has an entire hall dedicated to whiskey. It flows from the mouths of the gargoyles, they say. I'm sure I shall celebrate adequately." She laughed and kissed Rachel as her wife rolled her eyes.