5. Sadder Than Owl–Songs

Centauri Prime was getting ready for a war. The Regent was unavailable, the ministers enigmatic, swift and as infuriating as ever, and on the top of all that, Londo suddenly found out that Timov were in the Royal Palace. With Urza's children!

'Great Maker, Timov, what are you doing here?' he exclaimed when in private, only with G'Kar, his wife and two small kids standing warily behind Timov.

Timov pursed her lips disapprovingly.

'I have been notified, that you are demanding my presence at your inauguration, Londo. And I am not pleased at the manner the message was delivered. I felt practically threatened to come.'

'You felt, silly woman?' sneered Londo out of pure dread. Did someone thought that children will make good leverage over him? Did someone already planned how to harm them? 'You were threatened and I never wanted you here!'

G'Kar sighed at that, and Timov lifted her chin.

'I do not doubt that' she said indignantly, folding her hands.' But I was made to come. They have told me about most dire consequences if I wouldn't.'

'Yes, because I am sure you tried to throw them down the stairs and kick out of the door. Poor evil people. But whatever is going on here, you mustn't stay. And the children, too. Great Maker... come closer, children, don't be afraid. Those are Urza's children?'

'Yes' confirmed Timov and put into that tiny syllabe a world of contempt for Londo. 'Tilio and Gracia.'

The boy, with his father's nose and cheekbones, was approximately nine or ten years old. His sister couldn't be more than four. She was such a sweetheart with honey-colored curly hair and curious gaze. Londo sighed, resigned. He remembered Urza's wedding to his third wife. Those were her children, the other were much older. The poor woman died a few year ago, before the Narn war.

'You must leave the palace, Timov. It is not safe. I'll arrange everything, be ready to go any moment. Do you understand?'

'Of course.'

'Good.'

Timov hesitated. Then she took Londo by the arm and led him to the window, where children and G'Kar couldn't hear them.

'What is going on, Londo?' she asked in much softer tone. 'You appear to be more frightened than I have ever seen you.'

'And that concerns you, because? Do not worry, I will see that you leave the palace unharmed.'

'That is not what I had in mind.' Timov shook her head. 'Do not think I am blind. And I've known you much too long.'

'Then what do you want to hear, Timov? Something that will endanger you and children? Even if you think of the court as the most disgusting place in the universe you still knows how it works, yes? How dangerous it is. And now I have a feeling it's doubly dangerous, though I don't know why.'

'Oh, but you know that this is your fault' Timov pointed out flawlessly and cruelly. Much more cruelly as this was not an insult but only an observation. 'Well, perhaps you are not as hopeless as I always thought.'

Londo rolled his eyes.

'Oh, thank you so much, darling.'

Timov didn't reply. Instead, she regarded Londo with cold, assessing look.

'I've always knew that one day you will go too far' she said finally. 'Even for you. It's good to see that it scared you so much.'

Londo looked at her with anger but she was too close to the truth. And she said it like a compliment in fact, the very first compliment she had for him.

'I will come for you later' he said finally, then turned and left, without goodbyes, not seeing apologetic gesture G'Kar made before trailing after him.

He barely made it in time to enable Timov's escape. In the middle of the night Londo found himself in the prison cell alongside G'Kar. The war broken out and, Great Maker, was there any hope left?

'Well, at least one task was fulfilled without much trouble' sighed G'Kar. 'Maybe the universe want to give us some hope.'

Londo gritted his teeth.

'Maybe for you it wasn't much trouble but I had to spend several hours pulling favors and handing out promises. And then I had to climb out of that darned window not only with children but also with Timov, yes? And she is not as light as a woman should be.'

'Nor you are as young as you would like to be, surely.'

Londo sneered.

'Very funny. I should have dropped her squarely on your head then. '

'I would catch her without problems, Mollari. And I want to point out that for all your pouting you really liked how the children weren't afraid of you. Especially the girl. She made even you look adorable when you held her.'

'Do not tell any more, I beg you, G'Kar' said Londo in wooden voice. 'I need to spent the next hour trying to bleach from my mind the fact that you have called me adorable.'

'It was a compliment for her. You must be really confused by the whole commotion to think anything else.'

Londo sighed and looked upward effectively ending the conversation. Next hour indeed passed silently. The walls of the prison were green with mold. Lying on the wooden, most uncomfortable bench, he tried to avoid persistent gazes that some mushily looking form of life was happily sending him from a corner. And, Great Maker, how long were they supposed to stay here?

'I must say that I enjoyed meeting your wife, as much as I wish for the circumstances to be different' said G'Kar at least.

'Enjoyed? How did you managed to confuse her with Mariel, then?'

'Oh' G'Kar huffed indignantly but has the decency to avoid Londo's gaze for a while. 'What, Mollari, as if you really care?'

'I don't. Just so you know, that wasn't such a big secret.'

'And it didn't have to be. After all there was nothing out of character for me or for her.'

'No, there wasn't. I'm glad I've got rid of her. And of Daggair. But of course I would welcome them back if I could exchange them for getting rid of my real problems.'

'And Timov? She is uncharacteristically out of place compared to your people. I find it most curious.'

'Timov is not really noblewoman. Nor did she grew up in the Royal Court. I married her because my family needed money. After all it is one of the Centauri tradition, yes? You marry for money, position and influence, and for all of it if possible.'

'I imagine how disillusioning it was for her to get you.'

'Not more than for me to get her' retorted Londo bitterly. 'She was the bane of my existence from the very beginning, Miss Scold and Chastise. Though she was good at keeping the household and managing finances, being daughter of merchant and all. She always said that she would prefer to be a man and live on her own.'

'Very sensible. Our women must be just as strong as men. I am sure I do not need to explain why.'

'We had some independent and culture-breaking women as well, you know?' Londo decided to concentrate on the less dangerous topic. 'Shuharana, the great-daughter of Emperor Tuscan, she was a teenager when she tried to seize the throne only for herself. She deemed her brothers to be useless idiots and set up to do what needed to be done. And for the few years she really reigned the Republic. I would quite enjoy seeing it, I imagine her as scrawny teenager, bratty half–pint, scolding all the snobbish ministers and courtiers alike. She is portrayed as someone who really could get the things done. I truly envy her that, especially now.'

At that the dialogue ended. Time in here was passing awfully slow. Three days were more like three years. Even dreams seemed to not like the place and stayed out of there. No nightmares to remind him of a prophesized fire, of darkness and evilness without a chance for terrifying redemption. Londo felt that their absence improved his mood and enabled him to be more eager and hopeful. Hopeful to actually do something. But no, they were in prison and there was nothing he could manage from there, except thinking what to do when he'll be free.

When another horrible dream finally happened, Londo awoke screaming and flailing his arms around. Nightmare, right. He was in a cell, G'Kar was there, nothing really happened. But then again, he would swear this was real. And all his senses screamed at him that he had a lot to do, and very, very little time for it. It was time to break free, now.