PART TWO

For some reason, Howard could not let go of his memories of the nursery. He was content to have something distract him from the events of the past year (the pain had even dulled slightly), but what did it have to be his siblings and the children and Dulcet that replaced it? Why not lessons, or training, or time with his family, or…anything?

Whatever the reason, Howard rarely asked himself why it was that he would hum to himself little tunes that the children had sung. Or why he would smile when he saw a mess and remembered how he and Dulcet had cleaned many of them together. Or why he envisioned a pair of eyes trained on him raptly as he told stories of his journey to the Bane and his adventures in Hades Hall.

In fact, if Howard bothered to question his replayed memories, his first matter to settle would be to answer why Dulcet stood out in everything he thought of. Because he always imagined her eyes—never anyone else's—studying him, and the tunes he hummed were the ones Dulcet had sung along to.

No, Howard never asked why that afternoon stayed imprinted in his mind. But his siblings did.

"Howard, what are we doing today?" Hero asked at the breakfast table. York and Susannah had left early for their various duties, so only the five siblings remained in the apartment.

"We could…visit Vikus, or perhaps Hazard or Luxa," Howard said. "We could go the field and see if Mareth would allow us to use swords."

"We could visit the nursery," Stellovet said.

"I like that idea."

"Perhaps it is because you have suggested it every day since we last went there?"

"I have not," Howard said, but found himself looking at his breakfast instead of his sister. "But that was a good late day, was it not?"

"I liked it," Chim said. "There were many things to do—"

"And eat," Kent added.

"And play with," Hero said. "And Dulcet was very nice."

"I believe we are all in agreement about that," Stellovet said, and gave Howard a smirk from across the table.

"I do not know what you are implying, sister," Howard said, "but it sounds as if you had a better idea as to how to spend time."

"I have none."

"Then I will ask you to leave the subject alone."

A pause, in which everyone turned to their breakfast. Then, without looking up, Stellovet spoke. "I wish to see Luxa today."

"But Stellovet," Chim said, "you do not like Luxa."

Stellovet flushed. "When have I said that?"

"When Father began to spend his time here," Kent said. "You told Mother that Father was wasting his time to help such a 'stubborn child' and that you thought Luxa was a—"

"Do you remember everything?" Stellovet snapped.

"Between me and Hero, nothing goes unnoticed." Kent grinned to his sister.

"Stellovet has a good idea," Howard said abruptly.

"That Luxa is a stubborn child?" Hero asked.

"Not quite," Howard said with half a smile, "but we have not seen our cousin in some time. I would like to see how she fares. And perhaps, with luck, we may find Hazard with her."

The three younger children sprouted smiles on their faces. Luxa had not left Hazard wanting in terms of toys, and the Halflander himself fascinated the Fount siblings with his tales and language skills. Howard knew he had won his siblings over.

After breakfast, the five of them took a journey across half the palace to the High Hall, where families of nibblers still resided more than two weeks after the war. Luxa, Susannah, and Ripred were squeezed together in one corner of the colossal room, and none of them looked happy to be there. However, Howard knew from the weary look in the three sets of eyes that no one would dream of resting until at least one task was completed.

Susannah saw her children and waved them to the corner. Luxa almost smiled when she met Howard's eyes, but Ripred scowled at the lot of them.

"Great, more pups to attend to," he grumbled. "And I thought the Hall had reached its limit."

"Oh, enough, Ripred." Luxa rolled her eyes.

"As her highness commands," Ripred replied sarcastically.

"Are you all well?" Susannah asked as she picked up Chim and kissed her on top of her head. "What is the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter," Howard said. "We only wished to visit our cousins today, but perhaps now is a bad time?"

"Actually," Luxa said, "this is a good coincidence, for I would have sent for you in a moment." To the younger children, with a point of her finger across the Hall: "Hazard has arranged some of the nibbler pups to play games, and he is in need of helpers to work with the English-speaking pups. Perhaps you would be interested?"

"Of course!" Hero said, and she and Kent ran into the nibbler crowd. Chim squirmed out of Susannah's arms and toddled after them.

"Wait for your sister!" Susannah called. She then turned to the remaining children and gnawer. "I will begin my duty, then, shall I?"

"I'm right behind you," Ripred said, and he and Susannah left to merge into the crowd.

"What is this duty, then?" Stellovet asked Luxa curtly.

"It is simple," Luxa said as if she was ignoring Stellovet and speaking to Howard only. "Approach a nibbler family, ask where they have lived before they were here, and write the answer down. With any luck, we will have resources enough to send each family to their original home, and not to a new one."

"And what if their home is Regalia?" Stellovet asked. "What if you have let them stay here so long that they do not want to leave?"

Luxa turned to answer Stellovet coldly. But before she could, Howard wrapped his hand around his sister's forearm and said, "If you will give us ink and parchment, we will do our best."

"You may fetch it in the nearest classroom, near the kitchens," Luxa said. "I will meet you there once I speak with Hazard."

Howard nodded and pulled Stellovet into one of the hallways. Once they were out of sight of the nibblers, though, Stellovet yanked her wrist away from him. "I am perfectly capable of walking to the classroom by myself," she said. "You may go and start working with the nibblers."

"Not until I have an answer from you," Howard said and matched her quickened pace. "Why would you suggest to see Luxa."

"She is my cousin. I may see her when I wish."

"But you cannot hold your tongue around her, and you could never do so, even if she was the only one who could save you from death by a gnawer's claw. Why would you wish to see someone who angered you so?"

"No one said I wished to see her. But I was hoping to speak with her alone, and that is all I will say on the matter."

"What will you say to her that you will not to me?"

"Did you not say that you wanted one answer from me before you would leave? I have given you one answer, so leave me to myself!"

"And that talk is exactly what makes me break my word." Howard caught Stellovet's arm, and she was forced to stop. She still looked ahead, though, as Howard spoke: "Do you remember Uncle Kent? Of course you do. He was our favorite family member on Father's side. And do you remember when the twins were born, shortly after we learned of his and his bond's death in battle?"

"Mother named Kent after our uncle," Stellovet murmured with her eyes on the stone floor, "and Hero after his bond."

"And when you heard?"

"I left the room."

"You left the house. And I tried to run after you, but you yelled those exact words to me, the same you say now. And you have repeated them to the twins and to Chim and even to Mother and Father, whenever you were hiding something. So when you say 'leave me to myself,' something is very wrong."

Stellovet held very still for a minute. Howard half-expected her to react harshly, to sarcastically thank him for a story she already knew, or even to insult him and force herself on her way. But instead, she said softly:

"You know me too well. You know everyone and everything, Howard. And so I cannot lose you."

"Lose me?"

"Do not think I have not noticed," Stellovet said, and turned to face him sadly. "The way you play with children, the way you volunteer to take care of everyone, the way you always wish to go to the nursery… Does that mean nothing?"

Howard shook his head. "If you notice something, I do not."

"You are beginning to fall in love with that nanny."

"Dulcet? No, sister, you must be mistaken."

"I am quite clear about this, brother. I am used to watching cases like this. You are hoping that you will see her, or she will see you, and through that—"

"You are mistaken. This is no time for feelings like that, and I have no intention to let Dulcet stand between me and—"

"What time would be practical for such feelings as love, then, Howard? Believe me when I say I do not like this any more than you do, but you and I are approaching the age where it matters, regardless of what we want."

"And, after all the men you socialize with, you worry?"

"Of course! At first I thought that if I wed before you, it would not matter. But now there is a chance that you will wed before me—"

"Whatever makes you think—"

"Listen to me!" Stellovet snapped. "If you wed and I do not, you will go off into the Underland with your bride, and where will I be? I will be the eldest child."

"Stellovet, you know that wherever we both may be, you will always be—"

"The second-born, I know. But I was the eldest child when you were off on your adventures and I was at home. And I could not take it, Howard, I could not bear Hero and Kent and Chim. They kept following me and demanding of me, and reminding me that I was responsible for not just myself but three others. And that is what awaits me if you wed, so I have come here today for two reasons. I want to keep you away from this girl that steals your mind and heart from us. And I want Luxa's help to keep her away."

"And what did you imagine Luxa would say to this?" asked a voice from the end of the corridor. Luxa herself was leaning against the wall, and approached the siblings to stand beside Howard. "What is your sister talking about?" she asked him.

"Stellovet fears I am in love. But she does not realize that she has nothing to fear."

"That depends. Who is the girl?"

"Dulcet," Stellovet answered before Howard could. "The girl who takes care of the youth in the palace."

"I know her," Luxa said and looked up at Howard with a bemused look in her eyes that drew attention from the dark circles beneath.

"What?" Howard asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"It is only that I am enjoying this," Luxa said with half a smile. "I have never imagined you to love, but the idea entertains me very much."

"So I assume I may not ask for your help in halting this," Stellovet said almost in a sigh.

"What am I to do about this?"

"You have the power to do anything. Announce that you want them separated. Remove Dulcet from her position. Banish her."

"Now why would I banish her?" Luxa's smile evaporated to be replaced with a scowl. "Dulcet has done no wrong, and neither has Howard. If that is all you have, then I regret to inform you—" she did not sound regretful "—that I will take no part in this."

Stellovet's eyes flashed in a mixed expression of pain, fear, and resignation, but she had composed herself in less than a second. "Then, your highness," she sniffed, "I hope you will excuse me to fetch our writing materials."

"You are excused," Luxa said, and watched as Stellovet marched down the hall and turned into the next with a glower radiating from her face.

"You do realize that by this point, Stellovet is most likely ready to murder you for that crown," Howard noted.

Luxa pushed up the golden band that encircled her head. "By this point, I would help her plan the murder. But seeing as she cannot seem to handle even her siblings, I suppose I will have to press on." She sighed, and looked to Howard with weary but amused eyes. "So, my cousin is in love. The very cousin who forbids me from the very feeling, no less. How does it feel?"

Howard opened his mouth to answer for what felt like the hundredth time that he felt no such thing, but Luxa's note caught him off guard. He had seen the looks between Luxa and Gregor, felt the tension as they fought, heard the worry in care in Gregor's voice as he talked to her to keep her from dying. And Howard had forbidden anything more than friendship. But he remembered his single afternoon in the nursery with Dulcet, and found an ineffable similarity between what he felt there and what Luxa appeared to feel for Gregor. A thought struck Howard: he was defying his own order.

"Why are you letting me?" he asked Luxa. "After I have forbidden you from Gregor?"

"I ask myself the same question," Luxa said with half a grin. "Perhaps I want to spite Stellovet, or perhaps I want you to see things my way. But perhaps I think you need it. You have taken care of everyone for your entire life, and as you will not be ruling anything anytime soon, you should seize this opportunity. You have earned it."

"And you have not?"

"I think I have, but it is up to my older and wiser cousin."

Howard tried to say no, but Dulcet's eyes appeared in his head. Maybe it was love, maybe not. But now he could see why Luxa would want Gregor with her, Overlander or not, royalty or not. "We will see," he said. "You still have quite a task ahead of you, and Gregor will make it no easier."

"But he will make it no harder," Luxa said. "Howard, may I at least see him before he leaves? If he is gone, you will have no trouble—"

"Please, Luxa, I do not want to hear it just now," Howard said. Dulcet's eyes would not leave him, not this time. "I never imagined I would ask this, but what should I do about her?"

"Do you love her?"

"You ask me this now?"

"Just answer me."

"I do not know."

"Would you be willing to know her further?"

"…I would not be unwilling."

"Have you anything to risk by being with her?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Everything."

"Would you risk it?"

"I do not know, Luxa."

"Then I do not know what to tell you, Howard. If you were certain you loved her, my answer would be simple: tell her. If you did not, it is equally simple: do nothing. But until you decide, I can tell you nothing. Now, Stellovet will return any moment now, and I fear I am neglecting my duties. Will you come with me to meet the nibblers?"

Howard nodded absently, and they headed back to the High Hall. But as they walked, he could not help but ask himself question after question. And what answered him were memories of Dulcet. "This is not right," he told himself whenever such images popped into his mind. Normally he could work things out. But what was there to work out? She was a woman. He was a man. He did not know he felt about her, and there were too few facts or experiences for him to sort out. Not to mention that his family depended too much on him (and the kingdom depended too much on his family) for him to be off with one person and ignoring his duties to everyone else, even if she was a person that made him feel something he couldn't name. He decided he had to see her once more. He could decide then.