"A toast!" Mikhail proclaimed, raising his glass. "To our newest Caretaker, Thunderbolt Zeke!"

A cheer rose up from the other Caretakers as they all clinked their glasses together. Then Zeke immediately downed his drink and slammed it on the table, hard enough to rattle the bottle. He didn't catch what they'd given him, but it tasted like cherries and fire. Immediately, Mikhail poured him another, and he downed most of that one, too.

"Happy to be here!" he exclaimed. "After spending over a year as a Coalition stiff, I'm glad to finally get a chance to relax."

Zeke was doing his best to get into the partying mood, but present company made it difficult. Three of the people around the table were former members of Torna, even if Akhos and Patroka were only projections. Pandoria didn't seem bothered, but the three of them had tried to kill him more than once, so he had his reservations. Still, Nia seemed to trust them, so he wasn't saying anything.

Cole was the only other Caretaker Zeke had known before coming here, but he had declined to join them for drinks. That was probably for the best, though, because if he had come, Zeke would've spent the whole time geeking out. He still couldn't believe that he was living under the same roof as one of Addam's companions. Or roofs, technically, since Cole lived in the newcomers' wing with the humans and new arrivals.

"Relax?" the bandaged man snorted. "I don't know what the Head Caretaker told you about living here, but it ain't a vacation."

Zeke had only met the others today. Of the five Caretakers he didn't know, only two had shown up to his welcoming ceremony. Now they sat across the table, rounding out the drinking party Mikhail had cobbled together. The first was Qadar, the woman who'd saved him back in Spessia. The other was a man wrapped in bandages that seemed soaked through with black sludge. Occasionally, a drop leaked through the bandages and landed on the table, but nobody took issue with it, so he didn't either. Zeke hadn't caught the man's name yet.

"Things can't be that bad," Pandoria said. "I mean, we're here drinking. That's already more free time than my prince got with the Coalition."

"Hey, building a country from scratch is work," the man insisted. "I'm putting up a new building every day, it feels like."

"I can do work no problem," Zeke said. "As long as you guys don't have constant paperwork to fill out, I think I'll survive."

"We barely have trees," Akhos said, his projection shimmering slightly. "You don't need to worry about any paper haunting you."

"Nia and I handle all the administration anyway," Mikhail said. "You'll be doing other stuff."

"Such as?" Zeke asked.

"Resonating with Blades is the big one. We've still not reawakened the rest of the Blades from the Marsanes. And Nia usually asks us to take care of stuff she doesn't have time for. For everything else, the rule of thumb is you pitch in and do whatever you can to help."

"From each according to their ability," Qadar said. It was the first time he'd heard her speak all day. She was much more soft spoken than her appearance let on.

"To each according to their needs," the bandaged man echoed. "And all that other shit."

"Not this again," Patroka sighed.

"Is that a motto?" Pandoria asked.

"A creed," Qadar explained. "A founding principle for a free society."

"Except we don't live in a free society," Patroka said. "They may call this place Elysium, but Blades are still bound to human lives."

"Not here," the bandaged man said. "Here, we're free."

Zeke couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"There are still humans here, Strix. There are still Blades with no true freedom."

"I'm not free?" Pandoria asked. "First I'm hearing of it."

"Your Driver's pretty much a Blade himself, so I'd say you're fine."

"Maybe I'm just confused, then. Can Flesh Eaters not order their Blades to obey the same way human Drivers can?"

Patroka didn't reply.

"Because I don't see any difference between Qadar or Nia and humans who agree to abide by the same rules."

"It's the principle of the thing," Patroka huffed. "This was supposed to be a place where Blades could live without humans."

"The Gardens will never have been that," Qadar said. "They will have been an attempt at true equality. I will have hoped that they will have succeeded."

"Did I hear that right?" Zeke asked, whispering to Pandoria. She had to think for a moment before she nodded.

"Ignore her," Strix said, jabbing a thumb toward Qadar. "Well, actually don't ignore her, but parsing what she says isn't your job."

"I don't know," Akhos said. "He'd probably be better at it than any of us, considering he already speaks crazy."

"One of the many languages I'm fluent in," Zeke said. He winked at Qadar, but she didn't react one way or the other. Neither she nor Strix had really given much up about themselves. How people reacted to his provocations told Zeke a lot about them, and being unable to read these two was mildly frustrating.

"I don't speak in riddles," Qadar said. "You all simply aren't accustomed to my perspective."

"That's one way to put it," Patroka muttered.

"Qadar's an oracle," Mikhail explained. "If you believe her, she's the Oracle, straight out of old Judician myth. She makes predictions from time to time, and they tend to come true."

"Really," Zeke said, smirking. He drew a coin out of his pocket and showed it to her. "If I flip this coin, which side will come up? Heads or Tails?"

"I won't waste my talents on some banal tricks," Qadar said. "It takes effort."

"Come on, you can't leave me hanging like that."

"You framed the question improperly in the first place. Whichever option I would have chosen, you would have caught the coin before it could land and labeled me a fraud."

"Bugger me." Zeke whistled. "You really can predict the future."

"I don't predict the future," Qadar sighed. "I receive it."

"I see…" Zeke nodded, mulling the statement over. He didn't understand what the difference was supposed to be, but he suspected Mythra's foresight did the former, while Qadar claimed to do the latter. Did that make her more effective, or less?

"I think you broke him," Patroka said.

"I'm thinking," Zeke replied. "If you don't predict, then does that mean you travel back in time?"

"That's ridiculous," Akhos said. "There's no such thing as time travel."

"I do not travel," Qadar said. "My words do. I send them, and I speak them when they arrive."

"Makes sense," Zeke said.

"You can't broadcast information into the past," Akhos said, refusing to concede the point. "It's not physically possible."

"She's a Flesh Eater," Strix said. He shrugged and downed another glass. "Most of us are weird. Your pal Jin could slow down time. I can see through walls. What makes her so egregious in comparison?"

"It contravenes basic logic, that's what. There is no physical mechanism that justifies her claims. I—"

"You can see through walls?" Zeke asked, ignoring Akhos's attempt to keep talking.

"Clairvoyance," Strix said, leaning back in his seat. "I can see anywhere around me from just about any angle. Good thing too, because otherwise I'd be pretty blind." He pointed at the bandages covering his eyes.

"Don't have eyes under there?"

"He's got eyes," Patroka said. She crossed her arms and glared at Strix. He smiled back at her. "I'm sure of it."

"Want to make a bet?" Mikhail asked, pulling a sheet of paper from his pocket and passing it to Zeke. It took him a moment to find a pen too.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's the betting pool. We've all placed bets on what Strix's eyes really look like."

Each guess was accompanied by a number. Patroka had bet a thousand on "blood red", while Mikhail had put down fifteen hundred on "pitch black". Someone named Adenine had put down a hundred gold on "whatever gets you to leave me alone fastest", and Mikhail had written "green" next to that. Below that, someone named Nal had put down seven hundred on "grey, he's obviously blind." Akhos had two thousand on "muddy, as is his soul."

"What's that mean?" Zeke asked, glancing up at him.

"It's symbology," Akhos explained. "His past is marked in darkness, staining his soul with the weight of his sins. Of course his eyes would be colored to match."

"No, I mean, what color is 'muddy' supposed to be?"

"Hazel, obviously. Can you even read?"

"Seems convoluted. I mean, why not just ask him?"

"There's a betting pool going," Strix said. "Far be it for me to ruin that prematurely."

"What's behind the bandages, then?"

"Liquid shadow."

"Right," Zeke nodded. He immediately penned his guess. "Empty. Two thousand."

"Do you have that much gold on you?" Mikhail asked. Zeke glanced back at Pandoria, and she shrugged.

"I'll make it work." Zeke shrugged and offered Pandoria the paper. "Want to make a bet?"

"Put me down for baby blue," she said. "A thousand."

"His eyes aren't blue," Patroka said. "That'd be lame."

"I don't know. Big, gruff exterior, but take off the bandages and there's a pair of dreamy blue eyes underneath? It'd be kinda cute."

"I'm almost offended," Strix said.

"A woman compliments you, and that's how you respond?"

"My gruff exterior is my appeal, kid. The bandages lend it an air of mystery. I'm not a third-rate bad boy with a secret tenderness, I'm aloof and present a slight dangerous edge."

Patroka snorted, and Pandoria started laughing. Even Qadar cracked a smile.

"You're a big softie," Pandoria said. "I can tell."

"No taste," Strix muttered. He tried to pour himself another drink, but the bottle was empty, so he got up and wandered into the kitchen to grab another.

"You've upset him," Mikhail noted. "That's the first time I've seen that happen."

"She can have that effect on people," Zeke said, nodding. Pandoria immediately smacked him on the back of the head.

Mikhail burst out laughing, and Patroka and Akhos both cracked smiles. After a moment, however, Mikhai's laughter devolved into a coughing fit. He doubled over, clutching the edge of the table, and Zeke stood up. He felt like he needed to do something, but he didn't know what. He looked to Patroka and Akhos.

"I've contacted Nia," Akhos said. "She'll be here in a second."

"I'm fine," Mikhail insisted. "I'm sure something just went down the wrong way."

"You are not fine," Patroka said. "You've had three fits like this in as many days. Something's wrong."

"I can't think of—" He started coughing again, and it took him a moment to stop. "—anything."

"You nearly broke your Core Crystal, you idiot."

"When did you manage that?" Zeke asked. He couldn't imagine Mikhail managed to get into much trouble around here, and that sounded severe. Something to be worried about?

"When he detonated the Marsanes," Akhos said. "Honestly, Mikhail, you should be grateful you're even alive."

"Trust me, I am," Mikhail said.

"I thought Nia fixed you up good as new," Zeke said. "She's the best healer in the business. What're you still having problems for?"

"Don't ask me," Mikhail said. "I'm just the patient."

"He was in pieces," Nia said, striding into the room with Dromarch on her heels. It was good to see her. Zeke had been disappointed she'd declined to join them for drinks. "I stitched him back together, but I'm not perfect. There's only so much I can do if a body is hell-bent on falling apart."

"I ain't dead quite yet," Mikhail said, coughing. "Any idea what's ailing me?"

"Let me look," Nia said, pouring water out from her dress and over his body. After a moment, though, she frowned, and slowly her ether began to withdraw.

"What's the diagnosis?" Patroka asked.

"He's fine," she said. "Nothing's changed since his last appointment."

"At least I'm not dying," Mikhail said, straightening back up. "That's good to know."

"Is that seriously why you called me here?"

"It was a bad cough!" he protested. "My lungs aren't what they used to be, you know."

"Technically, those aren't even your lungs. I had to make those from scratch."

"You see? You're making my points for me." Mikhail sat back down. "Thanks for coming to my rescue."

"You're very welcome," she said. "Now if you'll excuse me." She turned to go.

"You should stay," Zeke said. "What kind of welcoming party would this be without the Head Caretaker?"

"Something's come up that I need to take care of."

"Let me handle it, my lady," Dromarch said. He'd been lingering by the door. "You should enjoy yourself."

"I don't know…" She glanced over the drinking party. Zeke grinned, beckoning her over, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. You and Azurda can handle it."

She sat down next to Zeke as Dromarch left, and everyone else took their seats. Except Qadar, who hadn't bothered to get up in the first place.

"You aren't slick, by the way," Nia said, glaring at Mikhail. "Faking a cough to get me to join the party?"

"Guilty as charged," Mikhail said. "I've got to put my decrepit body to use somehow."

"At least you're joining us now," Zeke said. "That's something I can toast to."

"This is your party," Nia said. "You aren't the one making toasts. And besides, I don't drink, so there wouldn't be much point."

"You don't drink?" Strix asked, staggering back into the dining hall with another bottle clutched in one hand. "Why the hell do I work for you, then?"

"Oh, come on," Zeke said. He snatched the bottle from Strix as the man slumped back in his seat and held it out toward Nia. "It's my party, and I say you're drinking."

"I don't drink," she repeated.

"Oh? Can the Banshee Queen not hold her liquor?" He began to shake his head. "For shame."

"Fine," Nia growled. She grabbed the bottle from his hands and took a swig. "But I'm warning you, mister Bringer of Chaos. I can and will drink you under this table."

"I'd like to see you try," Zeke said, taking the bottle back and downing a swig himself.

"I'll go get more booze," Pandoria said, standing up. "We're going to be here a while."

"And some shot glasses too. I don't want Furry Ears skimping on her drinks."

"That scared, are you?" Nia asked.

"Just trying to ensure a level playing field."

"Twenty gold says she demolishes him," Patroka said.

"There's no way," Akhos replied. "He's a foot taller and almost twice her weight."

"You'd do well not to underestimate the Head Caretaker," Qadar said.

"Why? Is that a prediction?"

"No. She simply possesses the strongest will of everyone present."

"Naysayers," Zeke scoffed. "We'll show them what for, right Pandy?"

"You're on your own," she said, setting the glasses down in front of Zeke and Nia.

"Is Akhos really going to be my only moral support?"

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked.

"Other than the fact that you're only supporting me because your sister took Nia's side?" Zeke asked. "No, nothing."

"I am not—" Akhos scoffed. "My decision is based on sound logic. I'm not some child throwing a tantrum and being contrarian."

"Less talking," Nia said. "More drinking."

"I'll pour," Mikhail offered, taking the bottle from Nia and pouring the first round. They both downed their shots immediately, and immediately Mikhail poured a second. Then a third. It wasn't long before they needed to switch to another bottle.

"Well Zeke," Nia said, smiling at him. "Welcome home."

He smiled back at her and took another shot. "It's good to be home."

Nia could feel someone scratching her behind the ears as she woke up. It felt nice, for a moment. Then she realized someone was lying next to her and sat upright in an instant. She looked over to see Zeke, minus his jacket and belts, sprawled out on the bed. He'd been idly scratching her ears as he slept.

She scrambled back, confused and alarmed. What was he doing in her room? What was he doing in her bed? Except, she noticed she wasn't in her room. She was in the infirmary, and they'd been sleeping in one of the spare beds. She was still wearing her dress from the night before, too. The last thing she remembered was drinking with Zeke. What had happened after?

"You're awake," Adenine said, startling Nia. The woman pulled back the curtain that separated them from the rest of the infirmary.

"What am I doing here?" Nia asked, climbing off the bed.

"Mikhail and Pandoria brought you two in early this morning, around three. Said you'd both passed out drinking. I set you up in some cots so you could sober up."

"No, I mean what am I doing here!" Nia gestured at the bed Zeke was still sleeping in.

Adenine shrugged. "You tell me. I had Pandoria put you over here." She pulled back a separate curtain, revealing a mess of an empty cot. The sheets had been thrown every which way, and something had pulled on the curtain too hard and broken several of the rings holding it in place. Had she done all of that while she'd been passed out?

This was exactly why she didn't drink.

"You're kidding," Nia groaned. "I crawled into Zeke's bed? How drunk was I?"

"Drunk enough to cuddle up with your boyfriend, apparently."

"Wha—" Nia stammered. "He's not—We're just friends."

She didn't think of Zeke like that. Sure, they got along, and he was easy on the eyes, but she wasn't interested in romance. She wouldn't be able to sustain one anyway, with all that she was constantly having to deal with.

"Right, sure." Adenine nodded. "Which is obviously why you crawled into bed with him at three in the morning."

"Shut up."

"I'm not judging. You could do a lot worse than him. That crystal in his chest is some of my best work. I'm just saying."

"That's not…" Nia sighed and dragged herself over to where Adenine was working. "Whatever. Have you made any progress?"

"Some." Adenine motioned at a series of needles suspended from a lattice. "I should have finer control over resonance, and better tracking. Assuming a good calibration, anyway. It doesn't solve our repair problem, but it'll mean less mistakes on my end."

"Good." Nia nodded. There were a lot of hurdles they needed to get over before they could comfortably perform any real surgery.

"Have you talked to Dromarch about it yet?"

"He's hard to approach about this stuff. I don't want to get his hopes up until we have a solid procedure."

"It's hard to test a procedure when I don't have any test subjects."

"You're the smartest person here, Adenine. You'll figure something out."

"If only I had your confidence," Adenine said with a sigh. "Regardless, you're going to need to get him on board at some point. Can't really make the repairs otherwise."

"I know. I'll talk to him soon."

Truth be told, Nia was avoiding bringing it up with Dromarch. She didn't know if he even wanted to be healed, much less with this much risk involved. She knew she could do it in theory, but the prospect of tinkering around with her best friend still unnerved her.

"Where…?" Zeke mumbled, sitting up in the cot. "Why am I back in Indol?"

"Prince Ozychlyrus," Adenine noted. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"Nia, where are we?"

"The infirmary," Nia said. "You're still in the Gardens."

"I know you…" Zeke muttered, his eyes narrowing at Adenine. "You worked for Amalthus, right? You were there after my surgery."

"You remember," Adenine said. She floated away and returned to fiddling with a machine on a nearby table. "How thoughtful."

"Adenine is our resident physician and Blade expert," Nia said. "And, though she couldn't make it to yesterday's meeting, she's also one of your fellow Caretakers."

"Right…" Zeke got out of bed slowly, keeping his eyes on Adenine.

"You're suspicious," Adenine said, glancing back at him. "Good. It'd be weird if you weren't."

"We should go," Nia said. "Let you keep working."

"You trust her?" Zeke asked.

"Yes." She picked his jacket off the floor and pressed it into his chest. "Now put your clothes on. We've got work to do."

She opened the door and motioned for him to leave. It took him a moment to gather up his belts, and he was still strapping them onto his chest as the two left the room.

"What's on the agenda today, then?" he asked.

"You're surprisingly cheery for someone just waking up from a hangover."

"I've dealt with worse. So what're we doing first?"

"Well, considering we've slept in for—" She glanced out a nearby window to check the time of day. The sun was pretty high in the sky, so it had to be at least around noon. "Way longer than I would have liked, I've missed my morning check in with Dromarch. So until I can find him, we're free-wheeling."

She needed to speak with Dromarch about last night. Drinking with Zeke and the others had been fun and all, but it had also meant neglecting her duties. Most pressingly, a Coalition envoy had arrived just before Mikhail's "incident". Two former Ardainian soldiers. They'd insisted on speaking with her directly, but ultimately, she'd left it to Dromarch. She wanted to make sure nothing urgent was happening as a consequence.

"What's that entail?" Zeke asked.

"For me, it means walking around and seeing what needs to get done. For you, though, I have something special in mind. There's a Blade that could use your help."

"Anything in particular I'm supposed to help this Blade with?"

"Her name's Electra. I woke her up a few days ago, but she hasn't been able to get settled in yet because she's been having trouble controlling her electrical discharges. I thought you and Pandoria could—"

"Hey!" Pandoria called out, rounding the next corner and nearly crashing into the two of them. Mikhail was right behind her. "Did you two have fun last night?"

"I would assume so," Zeke said. "But I can't remember anything after the ninth shot. Who won the contest?"

"Oh, she beat your ass," Mikhail said. "You hit the ground a good thirty seconds before she did."

"Sounds more like a tie to me," Nia said. "Anything happen while I was out?"

"Other than Akhos having to eat his words? Not much. Dromarch's taking a group of new arrivals on a tour of the grounds, so you should probably stop by and say hello."

"We needed to head in that direction anyway. Pandoria, would you come with us? We'll need your help for this."

"Sure," she said. "It's not like I was going anywhere else."

"I guess I'm checking those pressure discrepancies by myself, then," Mikhail said.

"Do you really need me help to do that?"

"No, but it's nice to have the company."

Immediately, Patroka began berating Mikhail through his earpiece. She was only talking to him, but she was shouting loud enough that Nia could tell she was angry, even if she couldn't make out the specific words.

"How could I ever get tired of your attention?" he asked. Silently, he waved goodbye and began walking down another hallway. Nia took Zeke and Pandoria and headed for the courtyard.

"Can she hear everything we say?" Zeke asked.

"She and Akhos are linked into most of the systems," Nia explained. "But they have to focus their attention to listen, and even then, only in the Caretakers' quarters or through our earpieces. The other Blades deserve their privacy."

"So they can hear anything we say?" Pandoria asked.

"If they bother to listen in. It's a consequence of their presence in the system."

"Well," Pandoria smirked, shooting a sidelong glance at Zeke. "You know what this means."

"Don't you even dare," he said, pointing furiously at her. "Pandy, you swore to me you wouldn't repeat those stories to anyone."

"Well, I don't know if Patroka will be listening," Nia said, "But if you're telling embarrassing Zeke stories, then I'm all ears."

"Good," Pandoria said, rubbing her hands together. "Where do I start?"

"No," Zeke said, running in front of them and holding his hands out. "No one is starting anywhere. Nothing is starting. There's nothing to start."

They moved around him.

"Do you want to hear why Queen Raqura hates him so much?" Pandoria asked. "That one's a good one."

"I want to hear about his name, first," Nia said. "I've been wondering why he shortened it ever since I found out his real name is Ozychlyrus."

"Not that one," Zeke groaned. "Anything but that one. Pandy, please!"

"This one's from before his exile," Pandoria said. "My prince was twelve, maybe thirteen at the time, and he was even more full of himself than he is now, if you can believe it."

"I believe it," Nia said. They entered the courtyard, Zeke trailing miserably behind them.

"One day, the court got a visit from—"

There was spark of electricity from a nearby building, followed instantly by a booming thunderclap. Nia waited for Akhos to say something in her earpiece, then realized she wasn't wearing it. Adenine had probably taken it out and forgotten to tell her. Fantastic.

"Right," Pandoria said, one hand pressed against her earpiece. Mikhail must've given her one while she and Zeke had been sleeping. "Akhos says that Electra's had another accidental discharge, whatever that's supposed to mean."

"Mind if I borrow that?" Nia asked. "I left mine… Somewhere."

"Sure." Pandoria took her earpiece out and tossed it to Nia. She wormed it into her ear and activated it.

"I lost my earpiece," Nia said. "I'm borrowing Pandoria's."

"Electra's hiding in a closet in the new arrival's hall," Akhos said. "You're pretty close."

"Is this the Blade you wanted me to help?" Zeke asked, perking up now that Pandoria wasn't telling stories.

"Yeah," Nia said. "Through here."

The courtyard was surrounded on three sides by the Gardens' three central administrative buildings. The Caretakers' quarters, where the Caretakers slept and ate, the new arrivals' hall, where new Blades lived until permanent housing could be built, and the community hall, where people had first started gathering to socialize. They crossed the courtyard into the new arrivals' hall, and Akhos guided them to Electra's hiding spot. Not that he really needed to. The poor girl's crying was audible throughout the hallway.

"Electra," Nia said, opening the door slightly. "Are you alright?"

"No," Electra said. Nia couldn't see her past the boxes, but the light she gave off gave her away. "I messed up again. I was excited about no longer being the baby around the Gardens, so I went to greet the new arrivals. But when I tried to shake hands with one lady, I accidentally electrocuted her! I'm awful!"

"Can't control your discharges, huh?" Pandoria asked. "That's a tough one."

Electra made a noise and moved further into the closet. "W-who's there with you?"

"This is Pandoria," Nia said. "A friend of mine. Her Driver Zeke is our new Caretaker. I brought them here to talk to you because I think they can help you with your control issues."

"Really?" Electra sniffled. Then, slowly, she crawled out from behind the boxes.

She was a small Blade, barely larger than a child, with poofy blonde pigtails, pointed ears that drooped down, and stubby brown horns jutting out from her forehead. Her dress was silver, and it was covered with lines of blue ether that carried energy to her limbs. A set of six balls, crackling with electricity, fanned out behind her in an arc.

"I'm an electric Blade myself," Pandoria said. "Mastering your control isn't easy, but I believe in you."

"I'm Zeke," Zeke announced, leaning around Pandoria. "From now on, Pandoria and I are your new senseis."

"Really?" Electra asked. Her eyes sparked, and she clambered out of the closet, and the balls behind her seemed to fan out wider. "I've never had a sensei before. What's it mean?"

"It means we're your new teachers," Zeke continued. "Your guides on that path to joining the Order of Chaos."

"Here we go," Nia sighed. Immediately she regretted asking Zeke for help.

"Indeed," Pandoria announced. "Only the strongest electric-type Blades are granted membership. If you wish to join, you must prove yourself and master your powers."

"I don't know…" Electra looked down at her feet. "I still can't control when I shock people. How's someone like me supposed to become a member?"

"Fear not," Zeke said. "Pandoria-sensei and I have trained several of the Order's members. We'll whip you into shape in no time, but you'll need to be ready to work hard."

"I am!" Electra looked back up, and there was a fire in her eyes that Nia hadn't seen before. "I'll do whatever it takes to get my powers under control!"

"Excellent!" Zeke shouted, jumping up and holding his hand out. His sword manifested in it, and he swung it down the hallway, sending a crackle of lightning through the building. "Stick with us, and we'll have you in tip top shape!"

"Alright!" Nia shouted, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him back to the courtyard. "No weapons or ether discharges inside the buildings! You want to train, you do it outside! And don't wreck the courtyard either!"

"Very sorry, ma'am!" Electra shouted, bowing. "It won't happen again!"

"We'll be careful," Pandoria promised. Gently, she guided Electra outside, and she and Zeke began giving her pointers.

Nia was relieved Electra was buying into their routine, and Zeke seemed happy to help. As annoying as he could be, she'd missed the energy and enthusiasm he brought. She watched them instruct Electra for a few minutes, and get electrocuted in the process, before moving on to find Dromarch.

He was further inside, showing the new arrivals to their temporary rooms. Three new Blades, it looked like. That was more than they usually got at once. The one at the back of the group was a hulking giant that had to hunch over to prevent his helmet from scraping against the ceiling. He had bulky white-gold armor and a horn that curved out from his helmet just above his forehead. He noticed Nia approaching first, and the rest of the group stopped a moment later.

"Hello," he said, stopping to wave at her. "Are you one of the Caretakers?"

"My name is Nia," she said. "I'm the Head Caretaker here at the Gardens. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She stretched out a hand toward the large Blade, and he shook it. His palm was easily three times the size of hers, but he managed it.

"It's a pleasure," he said. "I'm Krogane. I've heard a lot about this place."

"Hopefully we can live up to your expectations." Nia turned to the other two and stretched out a hand. Both were women. "I'm sorry I couldn't greet you when you arrived."

"You're not going to shock us, are you?" one of the women asked. She wore an outfit that Nia figured would be a bit much even for Zeke: a purple outfit with yellow trimming shaped like storm clouds, thigh-high black boots with white lightning-bolts snaking down them, black forearm-length gloves, and a knee-length cape on her waist. She had short yellow hair, pointed ears, and horns just like Electra did, and her outfit practically screamed that her element was lightning. If they were human, she and Electra could have been sisters.

"I'm sorry about Electra," Nia sighed. "She was excited to finally have some newcomers to hang around with. We haven't had as many new arrivals lately."

"I'm joking." The woman shook Nia's hand. "I'm a lightning Blade myself, so I wasn't all that bothered. My name's Kora. This is my partner, Nim."

She motioned over to the other woman, standing behind Kora's shoulder. She had short green hair and a nose like a fox. A small blue symbol glowed on her forehead, and she had a larger one on her upper chest. She'd wrapped herself in furs, but Nia could see a long, bushy tail and a fan of green feathers sticking out the back of her coat. There were also two animals poking their heads out of the coat's front. They were slender and white, and their manes glowed with red and blue fire.

"I'm Nia," she said, offering the woman a shake. Nim stared at her hand for a moment before nodding.

"She doesn't talk much," Kora said. "She gets along better with animals. Kit and Sunny are the only ones we could bring with us, though."

"Well, there should be plenty of green space growing in the near future. Did you all arrive together?"

"I came with my Driver," Krogane said. "We'd been hearing stories about this place on the road for a while, and she insisted we come and see what it was like. I don't know how long we'll be staying, but I like it here."

"Is she here now?"

"Cole is giving her a tour of the Drivers' quarters," Dromarch said.

"I'll introduce myself later, then. How about you two? Are you here to visit, or were you thinking of settling in?"

"We're looking for a place to stay," Kora said. "At least for a little while."

"We're more than happy to have you," Nia said. "Do you mind if I borrow Dromarch for a moment? I need to speak with him. I'll let you get back to your tour after."

"Go ahead," Krogane said, stepping aside and scrunching up against the wall to give Nia a path to Dromarch.

"My lady," Dromarch said, bowing his head. "Nothing of note to report."

"Nothing?" Nia asked. "That's a nice change of pace. What did the soldiers want last night?"

"They were here to deliver a letter." Dromarch lowered his shoulder, revealing a compartment in his armor he'd stashed it in. "I assumed you would come speak to me before turning in for the night, so I kept it with me."

"Thanks." Nia took the letter. Signed and sealed by the Coalition's governing council.

"Busy day?" Krogane asked.

"Almost the opposite, actually." She tucked the letter into the rope tied around her waist. "I should go introduce myself to your Driver. You all make yourselves at home. And welcome to the Gardens."

"See you!" Krogane said, beaming as Nia walked away. She headed for the Drivers' quarters, but she stopped halfway to look over the letter. If the Coalition thought it was important enough to send envoys to deliver it, then she shouldn't neglect it.

"Nia," Patroka said, interrupting her thoughts. "Do you have eyes on the courtyard?"

"No," she replied. "Why?"

"Multiple ether discharges. I think Electra's having a tantrum or something. Can you see anything?"

"She's training with Zeke. Pandoria said they'd be careful, but I'll go check on them."

"Right."

"Any word on where Azurda is?"

"He checked in about an hour ago. He's touching base with the Titans around the continent, seeing if anything's come up. Strix is out with him for a perimeter sweep."

"Keep me posted." Nia took her hand away from her earpiece and headed for the courtyard. She couldn't hear any bursts of lightning, but she could hear Zeke scream the name of one of his "signature moves". What was that idiot doing? As she opened the door to the courtyard, she could hear Electra screaming.

"Come on, sensei!" the girl shouted. "You can take her!"

She and Pandoria were standing by Jin's shrine, cheering Zeke on as he fought with a woman by the gate. It was Nal. She'd been gone for nearly a month, to the point where Nia had been considering sending Azudra out with a team to look for her. With one hand clamped down on her hat and the other holding one of her hand cannons aloft, she dodged around his strikes with ease, her poncho fluttering in the wake of every swing but never quite falling within striking distance.

Eventually, she jumped back, using a small burst of ice to move out of range of his extended sword, and fired two shots at him. He blocked them with the flat of his blade, and ice began to grow from where the shots hit. Rather than deal with that, he extended the sword further, sending the blade flying away and aiming the handle at her. A bolt of lightning shot out, but she was already raising a wall of ice to block it.

"Hey!" Nia shouted. Instantly, the fighting came to a halt. "How does this qualify as being careful!?"

"Howdy Nia!" Nal shouted, waving at her as she dissolved the wall of ice. "We were just messin' around, friendly like! I wanted to see if the new guy was worth his salt!"

"You aren't half bad yourself," Zeke said, handing his sword back to Pandoria.

"Nal," Nia said, walking up to her. "I expected you back sooner."

"And I expected to be back sooner," Nal said. "But those scoundrels had other ideas."

"Scoundrels?"

"Yeah. Things went a little sideways in Sthenos, y'see. Some of the locals were givin' me trouble on account of how I'm a 'Judician Cannibal'. I figured the Praetorium were the only folks who really got up in arms over that sorta thing, but I guess not."

"You were in Sthenos?" Zeke asked. "Happen to wander into any of the bogs?"

"I didn't get to do much explorin', on account of being shot at and all. Why d'ya ask?"

"Just… Stay out of the bogs. If you ever need to know why, it'll be too late."

"I'll tell you that one later," Pandoria said, elbowing Nia in the arm. "It's a great one."

"Not on your life," Zeke huffed.

"Anything else of note?" Nia asked.

"Somethin' had 'em spooked," Nal said. "A lot of the bigwig chiefs were meeting to talk when I went to introduce myself, but they ran me outta the place before I could figure out what was goin' on. Whole country felt like it was holdin' its breath."

"I'll call a meeting tomorrow. You can give the full report then. If we can drag Kalarau out of his cave, maybe he can give his opinion."

"That's a big if," Nal laughed. "All this runnin' around's made me hungry, so I'm gonna grab some grub." She sidled past Nia and headed inside, waving at them over her shoulder. "Good to meet ya', Prince Zeke!"

"That's Zeke von Genbu!" Zeke replied. "Bringer of Chaos!"

"What happened to Ultimate Bringer of Chaos?" Nia asked.

"Felt a little too definitive," Zeke said. "I mean, if I don't allow for the possibility someone might be better than me, I'll just get complacent."

"Of course," Electra said, beaming up at Zeke. "Sensei, you should write that down!"

"Perhaps one day, my young pupil. But right now, we've got training to do!"

"Yeah!" Electra pumped her fist in the air, and a bolt of lightning shot out of it. Nia almost glared at her, but seeing Zeke laughing about it stopped her. Maybe she was being too serious.

"Don't let me keep you," she said, wandering over to the center of the courtyard. She sat on a bench, facing the stone she'd driven Jin's sword into, and got to reading the letter.

Nia, it began. I'm not accustomed to doing this without the formality. I don't know what kind of address you'd prefer as Head Caretaker, but I'd rather just write to you as a friend. I hope it isn't too presumptuous to call you one. You did save my life, after all. I would have liked to speak more, to hear how things have been faring in Temperantia. I feel there is much I could learn from how you have built your country. And I wish this could be a simple invitation. But the duties of my office demand more from me, as I'm sure you've no doubt realized over the last two years. Elysium's balance is delicate, and I am calling a summit of its leaders to help keep the peace in these uncertain times. I hope you will be able to attend. You will find the details enclosed. Perhaps we will be able to speak as friends, after this is all over, but until then, I hope to have your support as a fellow member of the Coalition. Know that you will always have mine. Sincerely, Niall.

Nia read the letter over a few times. She'd spoken to Niall on and off in the days after the Cataclysm, and once or twice after founding the Gardens. They weren't friends, exactly, but they were on good terms. If he was asking her to attend a summit, she would. It might also be an excuse to visit Mòrag and the others in the capital. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why Niall was calling a summit. Things had been relatively quiet since they'd signed the Elysian Treaty. What had changed?

Perhaps Qadar's predictions about Spessia were coming to bear quicker than they'd thought.

"Look alive!" Strix shouted, his voice crackling over her earpiece and startling her out of her thoughts. "I need everyone who wants to fight to head for the western fin! There's an armed group of mercenaries camped on the border!"

This took priority. She slipped the letter back into the rope around her waist.

"Zeke!" she shouted, running over to them. "Feel like knocking some heads?"

"What kind of a question is that!?" he shouted back.

"Strix needs some help. Apparently, we've got mercenaries at the border."

"Good." Zeke grinned. "I haven't had a good fight in what feels like years. Hopefully these chumps put up some kind of challenge. How 'bout you, Pandy?"

"Let's kick ass," she said, flashing him a thumbs up.

Nia couldn't help but crack a smile. Life had been a constant rush to keep the Gardens afloat since she, Mikhail, and Azurda had struck out to build it. In all that time, she hadn't had a chance to slow down and take stock. But now, with Zeke here, this place finally felt like home.

"Want to race to see who makes it first?" Zeke asked. Nia had to stop herself from laughing.

"Alright, Shellhead." She whistled, and after a moment, Dromarch bounded into the courtyard. She swung up onto his back. "You're on."

Zeke crashed through the underbrush, running at full stride. Pandoria was at his heels, keeping pace, but he wasn't focused on her. He could hear Dromarch's paws pounding against the dirt behind him, threatening to catch up.

Not if he could help it.

"Pandy!" he shouted, pulling the sword off his back. "Get ready to jump!"

He tossed the sword on the ground and stomped one foot on the handle, driving it into the dirt and angling the blade up. With the other foot pressed against the flat of the blade, he held out his hand, and Pandoria grabbed it just as Dromarch rushed past them, bounding down the slope of Temperantia's fin. Nia gave them a smug look over her shoulder as she pulled ahead of them, but Zeke knew it wouldn't last long. He pulled Pandoria up onto the sword and, with a burst of ether, fired the blade out of the handle at speed. It shot forward, carrying the pair past Dromarch and over the edge of the fin.

Zeke spotted a camp nearby, pitched in the fields between Temperantia and the forest at the edge of Uraya's border. Azurda flew circles overhead, while Strix balanced on his back, throwing out waves of ether to turn the ground around the camp into sludge and keep the mercenaries from fleeing. Zeke and Pandoria soared toward the camp, screaming at the top of their lungs as the wind whipped around them.

Zeke crept forward on the blade, grabbed the side, and lifted up one of his feet in preparation. Wordlessly, Pandoria moved back until she was standing at the weapon's bottom edge. The moment she erected a shield around Zeke, he slammed his foot down on the front end, using a burst of electricity to move at blinding speed. The blade spun, launching Pandoria toward the camp at maximum velocity, and lightning struck all around as she crashed into the small collection of tents.

Zeke, for his part, continued spinning, gripping the sword as it crashed into the ground halfway to the camp. He carved a trench in the ground, Pandoria's shield keeping him from breaking any bones, and managed to stumble his way into a run. Once his feet were underneath him, he held the blade high and recalled the handle. A glance over his shoulder told him Nia and Dromarch still had a ways to go, too. Another win for Zeke von Genbu.

As he reached the edge of the sludge enveloping the camp, he spotted a group of mercenaries on the far side that had managed to pull themselves out. They were running for the forest.

"Strix!" he called out, circling around the mire.

"I see them!" Strix shouted back. Sludge began forming around the mercenaries as they fled, but it expanded too slowly. They outran what formed beneath their feet, and they could avoid what formed ahead of them. Zeke left the ones already in the camp to Pandoria and ran after the ones fleeing. Ether gathered in his legs as he did, and the moment he had a straight shot to them, he unleashed it all in a single burst.

He rocketed forward, closing the distance in an instant, and swung the flat of his sword into the side of the nearest mercenary. The man tumbled across the ground right into a pool of sludge, and immediately Zeke shot his sword's blade out, catching a second mercenary by the ankles and knocking him off his feet. Another one whirled around, swinging an axe at Zeke's head, and the weapon's edge glowed with ether despite the fact that he wasn't resonating with a Blade. Effortlessly, Zeke ducked under the axe, grabbed the man's head, and slammed it into the ground. A pool of sludge formed around him a moment later, and Zeke moved on.

He recalled his sword and swung the handle around to catch another mercenary with the blade as it returned, knocking her over into another nascent pool of sludge. As the woman fell, the last mercenary in the group readied a large cannon, unleashing a blast of ether. Zeke dodged, barely, and rushed forward, but the man was just far away enough he had time to act. He pressed a glowing crystal plate into the cannon's back and fired another shot, and with no room to dodge, Zeke raised his sword to block the attack. It struck the weapon and discharged a payload of raw ether, almost searing a hole in the blade and knocking Zeke back. The man took the opportunity to run, but he didn't get very far.

A long spear struck the ground in front of the mercenary, kicking up a cloud of dirt. A set of jagged hooks protruded from the haft at odd angles, and as Strix landed next to it, the ground around him exploded in a wave of mud. The man scrambled back, but Strix swung the spear around, catching him under the arm with one of the hooks and driving him into the sludge.

"That's the last of them," Strix said, unhooking his spear from the man's shoulder. "Thanks for the assist."

"Do we know who they are?" Zeke asked. He glanced back at Pandoria and Nia, who were gathering up the trapped and unconscious mercenaries further back.

"At first, I thought maybe we had more Titan poachers on our hands," Strix said. "But those assholes had been smart enough to keep out of my range. These guys? They walked right into our territory, heads held high. Even had the balls to shoot at us when we told them to state their business."

"Territory?" the man underneath Strix asked. "I thought fairytale land didn't like the concept of borders."

"We don't," Strix said, crouching down and putting his face uncomfortably close to the man's. "But until the rest of the world gets rid of them, we're going to keep watching them just in case."

"They went down quick," Zeke noted. "Small fighting force, no Blades or Drivers… I'd pin them as rank amateurs. What were they even after?"

"I'm a Driver," the man next to Strix said, pulling himself out of the muck to glare at Zeke. "But I ain't got no Blades anymore, since you bastards stole 'em!"

"We don't steal Blades," Strix said.

"The hell you don't! All those stories filled their heads with crap, and now my two prized possessions are up in your fucking Gardens! How am I supposed to make a living now!?"

"Blades make their own decisions," Zeke said, nearly growling. "They're people. You don't get to keep them locked up like things to be owned. If they wanted to leave, it was their right to do so."

"Bullshit!" the man spat. "I'm the Driver, I make the rules! You've got no right to keep me from them! When I get my hands on those bitches, I'll—"

Zeke punched the man in the jaw, knocking him into the ground. He'd had just about enough of the man's drivel.

"Well, it's not poachers," Strix said. "Let's get these guys to the dungeons."

"We have dungeons?" Zeke asked.

"I built them specifically for assholes like this." Strix grabbed the man and dragged him to his feet. The sludge solidified around his arms and legs as Strix pulled him out, forming heavy stone manacles. Zeke started helping him drag the prisoners back to the camp, where Azurda was waiting with the others.

"Looks like I win!" Zeke said, beaming at Nia. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, alright," she said.

"Apologies, my lady," Dromarch said, bowing his head.

"Don't sweat it. We never really stood a chance anyway. This idiot was fast enough to keep up with Jin."

"Only the one time," Pandoria said, right as Zeke was about to take the chance to boast. Instead, he just shrugged.

"What are we doing with the goons?" he asked.

"I can take them back to the Gardens," Azurda said. "Assuming they're all properly restrained."

"Hey!" one of the mercenaries shouted as Zeke tossed her onto Azurda's back. "You can't arrest us, we're Coalition citizens!"

"Technically, we're Coalition authorities," Nia said. "And you're in violation of the Elysian Treaty."

"Our client said his Blades were stolen," the woman said. "We were operating in good faith as licensed Urayan enforcers. Our license is in my front pocket."

Nia walked fished the license out of the woman's pocket and took a moment to study it.

"Let them go," she said, frowning. Strix just stared at her, like he couldn't believe what he'd heard. "Now, Strix."

"Fine," he sighed. He snapped his fingers, and the woman's stone manacles crumbled. After a moment, the same happened for the rest of the mercenaries.

"If you have no business with the Gardens, then I suggest you leave," Nia said. "And we'll be keeping your client."

"Fine," the woman said. "But the Queen's going to hear about this."

"I'm sure," Nia sighed. "Now leave. We'll know if you don't."

Begrudgingly, the mercenaries gathered up their weapons and supplies and headed back for the Urayan border.

"They were using Core Chip weapons," Pandoria said, watching the mercenaries walk off. "If memory serves, the Concords of Negaris banned those. Very few people make them."

"So they're losers with money," Strix said. "Big deal."

"They're still rare, though," Pandoria said. "At best, you'd get them refurbished. These looked good as new. How did they get their hands on them?"

"Money," Strix said. "Didn't I just say that?"

"Someone's making new ones," Zeke said. "Is that what you're getting at?"

"I sure hope not," Pandoria said. "But I don't see another explanation."

"Without the Praetorium dictating things or doling out easy access to Core Crystals, people were bound to turn to other weapons eventually."

He glanced back at Nia, intending to ask her opinion, but noticed she wasn't paying attention. She was still watching the mercenaries with her brow furrowed.

"Nia?" he asked. "You alright?"

"What? Yeah," she sighed. "It's just…" She pulled out a letter. "The Coalition wants me to attend a summit of world leaders. I can imagine Queen Raqura won't be happy about this encounter."

"We're within our rights," Strix said. "They fired on us first."

"Because they thought we'd kidnapped some Blades."

"My Blades!" the man on Azurda's back shouted. "You thieves won't—" Strix clapped a hand over his mouth, filling it with sludge and shutting him up. Zeke thought about protesting, but… This guy was a real asshole. He could stand to get knocked down a peg or two. So long as Strix didn't do any permanent damage, anyway.

"People have played nice so far, but how long will that last?" Nia asked. "The Elysian Treaty only extends rights to Blades who live inside the Gardens' walls, and what we're doing here threatens the abundance of Drivers that nations like Uraya have relied on to stay afloat. I'm worried they might try something at this summit."

Zeke could tell she was worried. She'd spent years building a sanctuary for Blades and Titans, and she'd faced a lot of opposition from other members of the Coalition in the process. He wanted to say something to help, but he couldn't really disagree with anything she'd said. Still, he had to say something.

"The Gardens won't be undone by one group of losers crying foul," he said. "And if Uraya wants to come at this place, they'll have to go through me."

"Thanks," she said.

"Which is why I'm going to that summit with you."

"I don't know if I'm allowed a plus one."

"That sounds like their problem. No one keeps out the Zekeinator, right Pandy!?"

"Well, not no one," Pandoria said. "The Urayan prince comes to mind."

Nia perked up at that, which made Zeke nervous. Pandoria had been dropping hints all day about stories she'd previously swore to keep secret, and it was starting to become concerning.

"Well, as long as he's not running security, then I'll be fine," Zeke said, trying to move the conversation along. "You'll have nothing to worry about, Nia."

He winked at her, expecting her to say something biting or sarcastic in response. Instead, she just smiled at him.

"Yeah," she said. "Maybe you're right."

The reaction hadn't been what he was expecting, but the results were good enough. As long as she wasn't worrying herself to death, that's what mattered. They'd deal with everything else at the summit.

Zeke was about to say more, but there was movement nearby. Another group of Blades approaching from the Gardens, led by a woman in a porcelain-white dress with pink crystal trimming. Agate. Which made the rest of the group the repair crew, probably. Zeke hadn't met them yet, but Nia had mentioned them a couple times.

"Nia," Agate said, approaching. "I thought I'd find you out here. Was all that noise just now your doing?"

"Not me specifically," she said. "But yeah."

"We found this jackass probing the border with some mercenaries," Strix said, motioning at the man. "Came to take his old Blades back by force. We got it settled."

"I see," Agate said. She frowned. "I was hoping we could avoid incidents like this."

"So was I," Nia said. "But we play the hand we're dealt. Strix, can you get him back to the dungeon?"

"We have a dungeon?" another one of the Blades asked. A tall woman with a suit made of ice and long braids of blue hair that flowed in the wind behind her.

"Of course we have a dungeon," Strix said. "Do you really think this guy's going to be the last person who comes after us? We need to do something with them."

"It doesn't feel right," the woman said.

"I know, Dahlia," Nia said. "I don't like it either. We'll do everything we can to find a better solution."

"I thought this place was supposed to be better than that."

"It is," Zeke said. "The rest of the world isn't. At some point, we either take measures to protect ourselves, or we let the world overwhelm us."

"Case in point," Nia said, waving the letter at Zeke. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us."

"You're going to be busy?" Agate asked. "And here I was about to ask for your assistance with the day's work."

"Believe me, Agate, I'd rather be doing anything else." Nia sighed. "But the Ardainian Emperor is calling all the world leaders for a summit, and we've just had a border skirmish with Uraya. I'm probably going to be busy for a while."

"You're shirking work already?" Dahlia asked.

Nia didn't issue an immediate response, which didn't help matters. Clearly, the repair efforts relied on her a great deal, and her stepping back for a week or more probably wasn't something they'd planned for. But they didn't need to gang up on her.

"You're all professionals," Zeke said, stepping in. "I'm sure you can handle yourselves for a couple weeks."

"A couple weeks?" Agate asked. The color seemed to drain from her face a little bit. "That's going to set us back quite a bit."

"Blame this guy." Zeke motioned to the man, who glared at him. "He's the one who decided to stage the world's lamest invasion."

"Speaking of," Strix said. He hoisted the man into the air and headed back for the Gardens. "I'm going to go process this asshole. Good luck with everything."

"This is not how I pictured this day going," Agate muttered. She sighed, and that attitude seemed to translate through the rest of the team. "Well, no helping it. Dahlia, do you know any other healers who might be able to pick up the slack?"

"I think Vess might," she said.

That name hit Zeke like a ton of bricks. Vess was here? He hadn't seen her or Mabon in years. Not since he joined the Praetorium. That was going to be one hell of a conversation if they ran into each other. But he didn't have time to think about that right now.

"And Ursula," Dahlia continued. "But I'd rather not ask a kid that young for help."

"We can't afford to be picky."

"I'll find volunteers," Nia offered. "It's the least I can do. You all shouldn't have to worry about that."

"I appreciate it," Agate said. "We should be getting back to work."

"Yeah," Dahlia muttered. Reluctantly, their group headed out, leaving Nia, Zeke, Pandoria, and Dromarch by themselves.

"And now I have that to look forward to," Nia sighed. "I was hoping today would be a quiet one."

"Well, there's never a dull moment when you're involved," Zeke said. "I'm surprised you're not more used to it by now."

"Ha ha." Nia rolled her eyes. Still, she managed a smile "Very funny. Now let's get to work."

They headed back for the Gardens, and Zeke thought for a moment about what it was he wanted to do, as a Caretaker. Taking care of Blades was in the name, and he had Electra as a student now, but he had to think beyond that. Strix guarded the borders, Adenine worked in her lab, Mikhail handled a lot of administration, Nal apparently did recon, Cole acted as the envoy to their admittedly small human population, and Patroka and Akhos watched over the grounds. What would he do? He'd been pondering that question since he woke up that morning, and he'd just arrived at a satisfactory answer.

He'd look after Nia. She was busy taking on the whole world, and if she wasn't careful, a lot was liable to slip through the cracks. So he'd be here to make sure she took care of herself. It was a role almost tailor-made for him.