Josie watched her kids as they scrambled onto the dragon boat. She smiled at their

excitement.

“We can’t go too fast here in the city,” she told June.

“I know,” said June.

“I know you like to speed,” said Josie. “Ninety five in a twenty five.”

“One ticket,” said June.

“No license,” said Josie.

“I will ask Red to keep it down,” said June. She grumbled for a moment. “Everyone

onboard?”

“We’re ready,” said Bea.

“Red, Miss Daisy would like for us to take a sedate pace to the Hole in the Wall,” said

June. “So let’s make our way to the southern part of the city, to the edge of the

wall, and then we’ll have to turn left or right depending where we are on the streets.”

“Yes, mistress,” said the figurehead. The boat unfurled its sails and they began to

move through the streets. The dragon growled at slower moving objects in its way

as it floated along.

When they reached the wall, they turned to follow it until they saw their

neighborhood and the bulge of the apartment sticking out from the base of the

protective structure.

“Pull up to the door, Red,” said June. “We’re going to be here for a while, and then

we’re carrying you north.”

“Yes, mistress,” said the dragon. It furled its sails and coasted to a stop in front of the

door.

“Thanks, Red,” said June. “Do you need anything before we go inside?”

“No, mistress,” said the boat.

“Lunch,” said Angelica. She hopped over the boat’s sides first.

The others followed at a calmer pace while she waited for someone with the key to

unlock the door. They went inside after Josie opened the place up with her key.

“It’s small,” said Josie. She ushered the king and queen inside while her girls took

care of themselves. “Is anyone helping Angelica with the lunch?”

“I have it, missus,” said Matilda. She carried Aviras on her head as she went into the

kitchen.

“No ice cream,” said Josie. “You two are still grounded until tomorrow.”

“Bah,” answered Aviras from the kitchen.

“Your dragon seems a bit tumultuous,” said the King.

“He’s Matilda’s dragon, and he should know better,” said Josie.

She took a breath as she surveyed the space in front of her. She had never thought to

give a tour to strangers before.

“Obviously this is the dining room,” said Josie. “The kitchen is over there. The doors

on the left are for the girls’ rooms. That door is Jack and Elaine’s room. The steps

lead up to Bea’s room, our office and my room.”

She led them across the dining room.

“This room is our living room/parlor,” said Josie. She pointed at a door to the right.

“That’s our bathroom. Which someone is already using. Let me show you the Hangar

where Caroline will be staying.”

She worked the key pad on the wall and ushered them through the glowing circular

door that appeared.

“That was unpleasant,” said The King.

“I know,” said Josie. “I don’t know why it does that.”

She surveyed the Hangar. June and Boim were in their rooms packing up their meager

belongings.

“All right,” said Josie. “These are our guest rooms. We had to add them on when June

showed up, and when Boim came to live with us. At one point, we had a smaller

aircraft here, but it is on the Enterprise right now.”

“You had an aircraft in here,” said the Queen.

“Those things sticking out of the ground are a cradle for it,” said Josie. “There is a

roof access. The roof rolls out of the way so the jet can leave. There is a fear ring

according to Jack around the property to keep people and animals away.”

“So Caroline is safe here?,” said the King.

“The only people who know about this are us, and Mister Warner’s villagers,” said

Josie. “Jack is allowing them access in case of emergency where they are after what

happened.”

“What happened?,” asked the Queen.

“Some goblins burned their villages to the ground and were planning on eating them,”

said Josie. “Mister Warner and Jack went down and handed the surviving goblins

over to the peaceful goblins for punishment.”

“I’m ready to go,” said June. She came out of her room with her bag in one hand.

“Did you clean the room?,” asked Josie.

“Yes, mom,” said June.

“Did you write up the quest for the door of Tern?,” asked Josie.

“Not yet,” said June.

“Why don’t you do that?,” asked Josie. “It will be good reading for the Royal

Couple.”

“All right,” said June. “Let me get some paper and a pen. This is just like being in

school again.”

“I’ll give you a copy of our archive and Mister Warner’s old quests book,” said Josie.

“You can look at it to see if we missed anything.”

“All right,” said the King. “You said that other door goes to this village?”

“Yes,” said Josie. “They are far in the south from what Mister Warner and Jack said.

They only have one child. Jack was talking about inviting her along on his fishing trip

with the girls and Caroline.”

“We would like to meet these villagers,” said the King. He glanced at the Queen. She

nodded.

“All right,” said Josie. “I don’t know them, but maybe they will give me the time of

day just based off knowing Mister Warner.”

“I’m ready,” said Boim. She had a bag of stuff on her shoulder, sword tucked across

the top of it.

“Go ahead and write up your thing, June,” said Josie. “Angelica will probably have

lunch ready for you two by now.”

“Do you think Jack will build us a house?,” asked Boim.

“We’re not doing that,” said June. “Jack would do something like make any stairs go

the wrong way, or something.”

They entered the gate and stepped out in the living room.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Shall we?,” asked Josie. She went to the other door and triggered it for the royal

couple. She ushered them through and stepped through the unpleasant needling of

travel.

“Hello,” said a woman standing on the other end. “I’m Dorothea. You must be Josie.

I expected someone with a black hat and a black cat from the way Jack talked.”

“He talks too much,” said Josie. “This is Rickard and Lois. Their girl is going to be

staying with us on the other end. They wanted to see what the village was like

because they are worried about her, and any possible security concerns.”

“I understand,” said Dorothea. “Let’s go upstairs.”

She led them to a set of steps that led up inside a tower. At the top, she gestured for

them to look out the windows.

Josie spotted Jack and Mister Warner talking to a man on the ground. The stranger

pointed up at the bell tower as she looked out. Jack turned and waved at her.

“Did your people build this?,” asked Rickard.

“No,” said Dorothea. “Jack did. The renegades burned down our original homes south

of here.”

“Jack built all of this?,” asked Rickard.

“Yes,” said Dorothea. “There were a bunch of trees here before, but he cut them all

down and put up the houses in a second.”

“Any problems with the locals?,” asked Josie.

“Not yet,” said Dorothea. She shrugged. “Kyle will eventually assess the village for

taxes when he discovers we are here.”

“I liked dealing with his father better,” said Rickard.

“Who didn’t?,” said Dorothea.

“Could Caroline stay here?,” asked Lois.

“I suppose,” said Dorothea. “I would have to see what Ropel says about it. He’s the

mayor here, and is doing a good job of it for someone who doesn’t seem to have

much chances to lead anyone. He might say no just to cut off any type of danger. He

is more cautious than anyone I have ever met.”

“Is he the guy talking to Jack and Mister Warner?,” said Josie, indicating her window.

“Yes,” said Dorothea after she took a look out.

“Let’s talk to him,” said Rickard.

“Will she be safe here?,” asked Lois.

“Right now, Ropel’s biggest worry is the crops and the taxes,” said Dorothea. “We

don’t foresee any more goblin attacks, or bandit attacks, and we have someone who

can keep an eye on the local monsters for us.”

“Let’s go down,” said Josie. “Maybe this is a better idea than letting Caroline stay at

the Hangar.”

“No one will know she is here,” said Rickard. “That will keep her safe. Her meetings

with Case will be the weak spots to watch.”

“She will be with Jack or me,” said Josie. “Anybody who tries to take advantage will

have problems.”

“Did you really rip someone’s ear off?,” asked Dorothea.

“No,” said Josie. “I made a threat, and somehow Jack found out about it and is telling

everyone he knows. He is just doing that to be annoying.”

“Sounds like Jack,” said Dorothea.

“If I say something about it, he will just double down to be contrary,” said Josie. “I

can ride this out until I think of something embarrassing to use to pay him back.”

“Known him long?,” asked Dorothea.

“All my life,” said Josie. “And most of his extended family too.”

“Are they all loons?,” asked Dorothea.

“No,” said Josie. “Just Jack and a couple of his sisters. June, whom we’re pushing out

in the next day or so, and Rose. The rest seem okay. He did have an uncle with

dementia. I don’t know if that counts for this.”

“Dementia?,” asked Lois.

“Disease where your mind stops making connections,” said Josie. “It usually happens

in the older members of the population, but there have been cases of young people

suddenly not being able to function, and slowly losing the ability to remember

things.”

“Ah,” said Rickard. “Memory trapping. Rustam’s father had that. He had to step

down so Rustam could take his place.”

They reached the bottom of the tower and strolled through the building. They stepped

out on the lawn and crossed to where the trio were talking.

“Rope, this is my partner, Josie Fox,” said Jack. He grinned at her. He had something

in his hand that he put in his pocket.

“She doesn’t look like a firebreathing monstrosity,” said the mayor of the village in

a flat tone.

“I can be,” said Josie. “This is Lois and Rickard. We are going to be watching their

girl for them. They were wondering if she could stay here.”

“It wouldn’t be good for her,” said Ropel. “It wouldn’t be good for the kingdom.”

“What do you mean?,” asked Rickard.

“In a few years, even with Jack and Josie helping you, your kingdom will be facing

a problem caused by your uprooting of the corruption that has been exposed,” said

Ropel. “Caroline is going to need to be seen as taking an active part in this battle so

she can succeed you when you wish to leave her the throne. The nobles won’t respect

her if she is seen to be hiding from her responsibilities.”

“How do you know this?,” asked Rickard. He glanced at Jack, who shrugged.

“Jack gave me the ability to see how the future shifts,” said Ropel. “It is helping us

to rebuild, and it is helping us foresee problems down the road. If someone else had

been asked to lead the village, Jack would have given them the ability to see the

future.”

“You gave someone powers?,” asked Josie. “I think this is the opposite of what the

Society wanted.”

“They were going to die out here without the help,” said Jack. He grinned at her.

“Now they can protect Mister Warner while he is lounging around drinking beer.”

“I do plan to do a lot of that between quests,” said Mister Warner.

“We are not protecting Oliver at all,” said Dorothea. “We have our own worries.”

Josie felt her eyebrows go up. Maybe Cupid was a real thing here. Maybe she was

seeing things.

She decided that Mister Warner was old enough to mind his own romance if he

wanted it.

“Is it all right if she visits?,” asked Rickard.

“Yes,” said Ropel. “And the Ducklings. We will look out for her and them as well as

we can while doing our own duties. And we might need the extra hands in the next

month or so.”

“Thank you,” said Rickard.

“Good luck, Your Majesties,” said Ropel. “A little luck, some good judgement, hard

work, and lightning from the sky will get you through your problems. And your

grandchildren will think of you fondly when they arrive.”

“Grandchildren?,” said Lois.

“I said too much,” said Ropel. “Just let things go like they are for the moment. You

have a lot of work ahead of you. And Kyle will not like your daughter being here on

his territory without his knowing which will also cause problems other than the

originals that I foresaw.”

“Thank you,” said Rickard. “Kyle always had a jealous heart.”

“It was a pleasure to meet you,” said Ropel. “Dot loves giving the tour and talking to

people.”

Dot made a face like giving tours was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Some of us will be at the wedding,” said Ropel. “I don’t know who yet. Take care

of Elaine. She is the only thing keeping you in check. That’s what the world needs.”

“You make it sound like I’m some sort of menace,” said Jack.

“You are,” said everyone else.

Jack grinned at them.

“But you are decent enough, and are trying to do the right thing,” said Dot.

“Thank you, Dot,” said Jack. He gave her a smile.

“June will have ate our lunch by now,” said Josie. “I think we need to get a move on.”

“She has been eating for two since before I was born,” said Jack. “Elena, two days,

fishing and swimming.”

“She will be ready,” said Ropel. “We can spare her and Yoff for that amount of time.”

“Bring her back in one piece,” said Dot.

“It’s fishing,” said Jack. “How hard can it be?”

Ropel and Dot exchanged glances.

“Yoff?,” asked Josie.

“Elena’s dog,” said Jack. “See you tomorrow, Mister Warner. How long do you think

it will take to cut ties?”

“I might just hire a lawyer to do it for me,” said Warner. “That way it can be done

without me. I can get back to the village faster.”

“Let’s go then,” said Jack. He looked up at the darkening sky. “We’re burning

sunlight.”

Jack led the way back to the gate.

“Did he say grandchildren?,” said Lois.

“I don’t know,” said Jack. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Josie let the lie pass. She didn’t want to get into it about Caroline and Case having

babies when the future could change just based on knowing they could have kids.

“I hope Angelica did up some steaks,” said Jack. “I am hungry.”

“What did you put in your pocket?,” asked Josie.

“Something for Elaine,” said Jack. “Nosy.”

“Is Kyle a bad king?,” asked Josie.

“Here in the south, they have a council of low kings,” said Rickard. “What would be

dukes in my kingdom. Every ten years, the low kings pick one of their number to be

the high king. He listens to them and plans for his kingdom based on the low kings’

assessments of things. If they have to treat with other countries in any way, the high

king is the one to do that. Kyle’s father ruled for three terms. Kyle has just been

elected and looks like he doesn’t want to give up his throne if he is voted out.”

“So if he came north, we would have to meet him between here and Hawk Ridge?,”

said Josie.

“Yes,” said Rickard. “I don’t know what the two of you could do against an army, but

I would appreciate any assistance.”

Josie thought if things went bad, she would get a quest and she would have to pop

heads until she had to withdraw.

“The village would be leveed against,” said Jack. “If Ropel didn’t want to send his

people to war, I would have to come down here and do something. And there’s no

telling what Mister Warner would do if someone tried to break down the walls to get

in to do something to them. I doubt he would just stand there.”

“That thing with the arrow might be his first choice of action,” said Josie.

“Gives Yondu a run for his money,” said Jack. He opened the gate for them and

stepped through.

Josie let the Royals walk through before she entered the gate herself. She walked out,

thinking about future Cases and Carolines.

“I admit the Hangar isn’t like a small cottage in the woods, but we didn’t need it for

guests until June came along,” said Jack. He turned on the other gate and led the way

through.

Josie trailed along, looking at the vast empty space surrounding the quinjet’s cradle

one more time. There had been signs of torture and pain before Jack had ripped it out

of the old Duke’s grasp.

She would have done the same thing in more horrible ways.

She heard lunch is served as she crossed the living room. Her extended family had

taken places at the table with the royals taking the far end. She smiled at everything.

Jack leaned over and handed Elaine the thing from his pocket. Her face lit up at what

she held in her hand. She put the ring on her ring finger, before leaning over and

wrapping him in more than a stealth hug.