Author's Note: Lance's cigarette case figured predominately in 'A Knight's Journey' – it had belonged to Keith's father. Keith finally finds out the history of the case, and talks to Lance who returns it to him in chapter 34 of the story.
Thank you to KathDMD for technical help with this chapter – it would not have come together without her assistance.
Coming Home To Arus
Sven and Daniel were in the transport craft, making the flight to Arus for Keith's wedding. Pidge had requested they come several days early, because he had some tests he wanted to run on them. Daniel had been overjoyed when the request had come in, but Sven not so much. He was still hurt at how Keith and Lance had acted towards him, and wasn't relishing being around a bunch of people at a social event.
"Polluxian NCR789 requesting permission to enter Arusian airspace, and for landing clearance at the spaceport." Sven spoke into the intercom, and then heard the control tower respond with the ok to proceed. Daniel was sitting next to Sven in the cockpit, and the Viking saw the expression of excitement on the boy's face. He was glad that someone was happy anyway, and said as much to his companion.
"Oh come on, it will be a nice change and we won't have to smoke weed anymore! Pidge says he has a different treatment for us." Daniel replied to his companion, being ready to give up smoking all together. He was also looking forward to being away from his morose companion, and his depressing pronouncements.
"Just what I want to be, Pidge's lab rat!" Sven grunted, not being too happy with the Green Lion pilot and his snide remarks about the house on Pollux. Daniel sighed internally and tried to find something positive for the Viking to think about.
"Hey, you get to see your son right? Isn't he arriving a couple of days after us?" Daniel asked, knowing that the man's child was the one bright spot in Sven's life. He found it touching that the Norwegian still cared so much about the boy, even as he wallowed in his own misery. The cadet was sure that his own father's life was probably really good, but knew the man had never thought about him.
"Erik! Yes he is coming." Sven brightened for a moment, before the frown settled back on his face "Yes, and he is coming with Romelle, Nanny, and Bandor!" He didn't want anything to do with his brother-in-law, and he really hated the fact that Romelle had hired someone to watch their son.
Daniel decided that needed to take advantage of his last chance to try to knock some sense into the Viking. "Sven please don't do this! It's not going to help your situation with your son. I know you love him – God, you talk about him all the time, and you have all those pictures! How do you think that getting mad at your wife and her brother is going to help your case with them?" He dispensed the advice in the hopes the man was intelligent enough to realize what was being told to him.
"Romelle is probably really mad at me. The last time I left Arus, I didn't say goodbye to her, even though she had come to say goodbye to me." Sven divulged, remembering how angry he had been at Keith and Lance. He had deleted the message from his wife without a second thought. The five weeks he'd been back on Crydor he had not had one word from her, not even about Erik. He tried on several occasions to send a note to her, but couldn't find the words for what he wanted to say.
"God damn it all, you didn't!" Daniel was aghast at what the man had just told him, and really wondered how the Viking had ever managed to get someone like Romelle in the first place. "Sven, why? And why didn't you send a note of explanation from Crydor?" The cadet was speechless as he turned to face the pilot. Sven muttered about being mad at the meeting with Keith and Lance, which Daniel partially understood. Between Lance's f-bomb tirade, and Keith's cold smile at the mention of turning Sven over to the GA, the cadet could see how the Viking was too pissed to care about anything.
"After we land, you should send Romelle a note, telling her that you've arrived back on Arus. Apologize for not saying goodbye when you left last time – tell her it was because you were upset! Add that you are looking forward to spending time with Erik. Apologize again, and sign off." Daniel advised. After all, he had learned a lot about relationships from watching his aunt and her many boyfriends. And besides, he could sympathize about the meeting.
"Is it even worth it at this point?" Sven questioned, wondering why he was listening to a teenage boy. He then remembered some of the comments the cadet had made while they were together, and how spot on they had been. There was also the issue that Daniel sometimes looked at him with the same disdainful expression that Bandor did. Sven thought it particular that he could get the same reaction from two very different people, and what it meant about his view of life.
"Sven, it's always worth it! Chicks love to hear a guy say 'I am sorry'; normally I'd tell you to send flowers too, but not with where you and Romelle are right now. If you play your cards rights, maybe you could take her out to dinner while you are on Arus." Daniel figured any gesture Sven made couldn't hurt, and would look good to Romelle and Bandor, too.
"Pfft! Why would I want to spend money on going out to eat? The food at the castle is perfectly good! She probably doesn't want to spend time with me anyway." Sven observed with a sour expression, and Daniel felt like really slapping him. Someone needed to tell the man that dinner out was a lot cheaper than a divorce.
"If you keep that kind of attitude up, she definitely won't want anything to do with you!" The cadet exclaimed, but before he could continue, the control tower interrupted them. Their ship had been cleared for landing, and Sven gladly put the craft on the approach, wanting to end the conversation. The landing was smooth, and when they left the craft the entire team, along with Allura was there to greet them.
There were hugs and smiles for Daniel, along with a kiss on the cheek from Larmina. He noticed that Vince was much calmer about her, which was a relief. The mind link had started working again, and Daniel could see Vince's interest in Hope Hutchison. Maybe the guy was finally going to get laid, he thought, and then remembered too late that Vince could hear his thoughts. Vince just laughed and said he was working on it.
Sven was greeted warmly too, with a hug from Allura and slaps on the back from everyone else. He had been apprehensive at how Lance was going to treat him, but he was very friendly. The Viking was all set to follow Daniel, and the rest of the team, down to the pilot's area, but Allura took his arm instead.
"We'll join everyone in just a while, Sven, but first I want to show you to your room. We've put you on the second floor, where the wedding guests will be staying. You will be down the hall from Erik, so you can easily spend time with him." Allura informed him, carefully leaving out any mention of Romelle and Bandor.
Sven stopped dead in his tracks when he heard that, and was about to protest the arrangements when Lance spoke up. "No Sven, it has all been settled! Let's go. Oh, and I have a few other things to talk to you about, too." His voice had a forced, cheery note to it, as he strong armed his old academy roommate to move along. Sven decided that maybe the treatments had done something, because the haggerium was not boiling like it would normally have been. He still though felt the cold hand of fear clutch at his heart, as he wondered what he was in store for.
Allura held a non-stop conversation about the wedding details, with Lance interjecting funny remark as needed. By the time they arrived at the second floor Lance was practically dragging the Viking as Allura opened the door. The room was done in a tasteful combination of beiges and golds, with antique furniture featuring a heavy, masculine design to it. There was a large window that looked out over the gardens. In front of the window a little sitting area had been set up, with a love seat, a table, along with a desk and chair.
"I don't want to stay here! I like being down in the pilot's quarters." Sven almost snarled, as he took the room in, disgust showing plainly on his face. The room was overdone, and too fussy for his taste. He was about to say more, but just then there was a knock on the open door. Everyone turned to see a man in his late thirties, dressed in the dark blue household livery, enter the room.
"Firth, thank you for coming!" Lance announced with pleasure, as he introduced the man to Sven. "Firth acts as valet to visiting guests who don't have the own valet with them." Lance paused, and turning to Firth asked "Would you please take Commander Holgersson's luggage, and find both his day and dress uniforms? They will need to be pressed, and maybe he should have a session with the tailor?"
Lance directed his attention back to Sven, who was standing there open mouthed at what he was hearing. "I had Daniel get your measurements and have done some shopping for you Sven. This way you will have the correct attire to wear for each of the various events. Firth will help you, so you will know exactly what you need to wear, and when." Lance's tone was firm, and he gave Sven a direct look, but it was all for naught. Sven let loose a string of Norwegian curse words, while Firth looked with worry at Allura.
"Would you all excuse us? I need some time alone with Commander Holgersson." Lance inquired of Allura and Firth, who nodded their heads in understanding. They left the room, shutting the door behind them.
The Viking noticed the cold, hard look in his friend's eyes, and was reminded of their last meeting. He had never wanted to be on Crydor so badly as he did right at that moment.
"No, not one fucking word out of your mouth! Your god damn need to always be right and have the last word are what has put you in this position in the first place." Lance got right into Sven's face, and he continued. "Bandor has requested that you stop embarrassing Romelle with your behavior. Per his orders, you are staying in this room, you will participate in all events, and you will be properly dressed. Keep in mind that he and Keith have final say on the outcome of that arrest warrant." The Red Lion pilot added that for extra measure.
The Viking regarded Lance with almost hatred, but heard the threat in his words. He uttered a few more curse words in Norwegian finishing up with "You are a prick and a bastard!"
"Oh Svenny, if you only knew how much I really don't care what you think of me." Lance replied with a sardonic grin, "Now, you are to play nice while you are on Arus, and wear what Firth tells you to wear. I have explained to him that if you give him any grief, he is to let me know right away. Are we clear?"
"Since I have no say in my own life anyway, fine!" Sven responded almost petulantly, only to receive a smirk in return from his friend. The Red Lion pilot opened the door, and motioned for Firth who had been waiting outside to come back in. Lance knew that Allura had gone back to her office, and he was going to join her as soon as he finished with Sven.
"Firth, the Commander is very appreciative of how you are going to help him the next couple of days. Isn't that right, Sven?" Lance directed the statement to the Viking, who inclined his head in mute agreement. First Lance had saddled him with the wise ass teenage cadet, and now he would have to endure someone telling him what to wear.
"Am I allowed to go to the GA base? I want to get some cigarettes!" Sven asked unpleasantly. All the pot smoking had reawakened his desire for a cigarette, and he'd been planning on getting some when he arrived. The welcoming committee at the spaceport had made that impossible, and now with what Lance had just inflicted on him, he wanted a cigarette in the worst way.
"Here, take a couple of mine for now." Lance took out his case, a flat white enamel one with a russet colored fox on it, and Sven almost wanted to say no, because of who was offering. He was too desperate though, so he took two, wondering in the back of his mind when Lance had started smoking again. He hoped that maybe Keith would be too busy lecturing Lance to bother with him.
"You are welcome to go anywhere you want, Sven." Lance then glanced over at Firth. "I am sure that the Commander would like to change, so why don't you lay some clothes out for him, while he freshens up. Then you can unpack while he is in town." Lance excused himself, wanting to go have a cigarette himself after dealing with Sven.
"Commander, there is no smoking allowed in the room, but right at the end of the hall are French doors that lead out to a balcony. There is a table with chairs and an ashtray out there. I'll get your clothes sorted while you have your cigarette." Firth was glad that His Highness had warned him about dealing with the Commander. He was going to earn every bit of the bonus Her Majesty had promised him, that was for certain.
Stomping out of the room, he went down the hall, and found the French doors easily. When he stepped out on the balcony he realized that he had nothing to light his cigarette with, but then saw a lighter by the ashtray. As he lit his cigarette three realizations came to him but only two surprised him. The first surprise was that maybe the treatments had done something, because while he was mad, he certainly wasn't as mad as he would have been five weeks ago. The second was that he had never thought he would miss Daniel's company, but right now, he did. However, Sven wasn't surprised at how good the cigarette was, as he inhaled deeply.
As he smoked, Sven thought again about Daniel, and the advice he'd given him about Romelle. The Viking knew he never should have left without saying goodbye to her and Erik. Even trying to rationalize his actions by remembering that he'd said to goodbye to his son earlier that morning, his actions were still inexcusable. Sven was sure that Romelle had probably told Bandor and Fauk, as they sat around on the prince's ship and drank champagne.
The thought of Fauk reminded him of what else he'd been upset about on the day he left Arus, besides Keith and Lance. The idea of his wife and son being on the prince's ship was abhorrent to him, and that emotion had made the haggerium boil even harder. Looking back on that day now, even though he was still mad about the events, his emotions didn't feel like they were choking him.
He decided that the cadet was right about sending a note to Romelle, just to try to smooth things out. Sven had seen from the five weeks they'd spend together, that Daniel was a street wise young man. It had also sounded like his aunt and her various boyfriends had given him more insight into relationships than the Viking had ever possessed.
Finishing his cigarette, he brought up a holoscreen and accessed the message program. Sven lit another cigarette as he thought about what he wanted to write to Romelle.
Dear Romelle, I wanted to let you know that I am on Arus now, and will see you and Erik in several days. I need to apologize to you for the way I left the last time we were together. It was kind of you to come down to say goodbye to me, and I should have acknowledged it. When I saw your note I had just come from an unpleasant meeting, and was very upset.
Just so you know, I had already said goodbye to Erik that morning, but am sorry I missed the chance to see him again. It was disappointing not to get any news of him these last five weeks, but understand the part I've played in the communication breakdown between us.
I hope you have a safe flight to Arus, and I will see you and Erik when you arrive.
Kjaerlighet, Sven
As he took the last drag on his cigarette, he reread the note, and then sent it off. He wondered what her reaction would be, and how she would act towards him.
The Viking wished his wife and, more importantly, her brother, were not going to be on the same floor as him. The thought of bumping into them in the hall was more than he wanted to deal with. Sven sighed, crushed out his cigarette, and went back to the hated room and his jailer, as he thought of Firth. The only saving grace in the week would be Erik's presence, and he tried to focus on that. Sven smiled wryly as he realized that he was following Daniel's advice again.