Sleep was fast approaching when Gideon heard another knock at the door.

“Gideon? Are you still awake?”

He looked over at the door with a frown. “Depends on who you are.”

Surelin opened it and walked into the room, glowing in the light of a lantern she held in her right hand. A plate of food was in her other hand. She was wearing a gorgeous ankle-length purple gown that had short magenta frills at the neckline and cuffs.

Whoa.

Gideon sat up on the bed, crossing his legs. He couldn’t help but stare as she approached him.

She smiled. “They said you hadn’t eaten yet, so…”

The plate contained a half loaf of brown bread, a small block of yellow cheese, and a roll of salami. He accepted it eagerly.

“You’re my hero. Thanks.”

Her smile widened briefly as she set the lantern down on the nightstand. She approached his ruck and removed one of his knives from it, passing it over to him. With it, he began to cut slices out of the cheese as she proceeded to move his ruck off the armchair. Once it was empty, she sat down with an exhausted sigh.

“Everything okay?” he asked through a mouthful of cheese.

She nodded, clearly tired but also happy. “Yes. Everything is more than okay.”

He swallowed. “That gown really suits you. It’s beautiful.”

Some shyness entered her smile as she looked down at herself. “Thank you. It’s one of grandmother’s old gowns. It doesn’t fit me perfectly, but I’m pleased to hear you like it.”

She looked up at him, and now sounded embarrassed. “Um. I’m sorry for just falling apart like that earlier...and for not introducing you properly.”

He shook his head. “Don’t apologize. It’s alright, I get it.”

“I didn’t think I would turn into a mess when I saw her, but…”

“Was she pretty surprised to see you?”

She nodded emphatically. “I’ve never seen her so surprised, honestly.”

He raised an eyebrow at her as he remembered Edea’s placid expression when they first reunited. That was Edea feeling surprised?

“Hmm,” he grunted as he looked down to carve off a slice of salami, popping it into his mouth.

I won't tell her about our little meeting. I don’t want to say something that might ruin her joy.

Surelin watched as he cut more slices off the salami. “I think I built her up in my mind so much that she…stopped being a real person.”

He looked up at her. “She’s not perfect,” she continued. “I almost forgot that she’s flawed like anyone else.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head slowly. “She treated me…well, spoke to me…like I was someone else. As if I was still the girl she knew before she left for Loso.”

“She was wonderful, though,” she added quickly. “When I was telling her about everything, she was the most concerned I’ve ever seen her. I definitely felt her love. It hasn’t diminished at all.”

“Good,” he said firmly.

Her eyes were drawn to the lantern, and she stared at it for a while before looking back to Gideon.

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“Gideon…she-”

She shook her head fiercely.

“What?” he asked, alarmed at her behavior.

“...My brother is alive. He’s here, in Loso. And…he’s a slave.”

He set the knife down, listening carefully as she continued. “Edwin is being held by house Capella, on an estate somewhere in the north-east part of the city.”

“Hmm. I’ve heard of them,” Gideon said. “They’re one of the middling players in the city. Rich pricks with their fingers in almost every pie. The kind of people who live their entire lives in the lap of luxury, typical great houses shit.”

Surelin nodded quickly. “That’s not all. Grandmother wants me to…well, she asked me…to take the succession from Edwin.”

He stared at her, not comprehending. “...Okay? What does that mean?”

Her hands shifted from the armchair’s armrests to her lap. “Well…it means grandmother wants me to become queen.”

His eyebrows lifted with surprise.

“Because Edwin is male, he was meant to become king instead of me. But he’s young, and he’s currently a slave. And-”

Wait,” Gideon interrupted. “You’re saying that you’re older than him, but he still gets to be king just because he’s a boy?”

She nodded.

He scoffed. “Well that’s fucking stupid. What kind of rule is that?”

“Don’t mock our customs!” she snapped angrily, but then shook her head with remorse. “Sorry. I just…this isn’t what I expected at all. He’s only four years younger than I am, so for as long as I can remember this is how it’s been. It’s just a lot to take in.”

Gideon scratched the side of his face. “I’m sorry, too. Are you, uh…going to accept?”

“...There’s more to consider. Grandmother and Celaena have been busy building a spy network within the city’s slaves. The great houses of Loso bought at least ten thousand of us from the Kenanites shortly after the siege, and there’s many thousands of other slaves in the city as well. There’s a resistance movement growing. Gideon…”

She squeezed the material of her gown between her fingers as she stared at him. “Grandmother wants me to step in. And lead it in her place. As queen. Um…”

He watched with growing alarm as she bit her lip nervously and looked away from him.

What the hell is that old witch thinking?

“...But what do you want?” he asked slowly. “Did she even ask you that?”

She shook her head. “There are things we have to do as royalty. Duties we owe to the people. And I really do want to help them, but…I don’t know how to. Be a leader.”

Gideon fell silent as he absorbed everything she’d just told him. Surelin watched him quietly as he thought it over.

“I don’t like this idea,” he said finally. “It’s very dangerous and not likely to work, and what’s more I don’t think you owe anyone anything. You’ve already gone through enough just for being born a princess. I think you should tell her no.”

She gave him a rueful smile. “...That’s the reaction I was expecting from you. Gideon, I want to save them. It breaks my heart knowing that so many people are still experiencing what I went through. I want to do something about it, and with this I’d actually have the ability to do it. Or to at least try.”

He nodded his head slowly. “Alright then. Do it. Become queen.”

Her eyes darted across his face. “...What, that’s it? I thought you would be much more stubborn about it.”

“Nah, I know you pretty well by now. This is the kind of thing you’re inclined towards.” He shook his head. “What’s the point in fighting over it? Besides, my part of this is easy. All I have to do is help out, keep you safe, that sort of thing.”

She gave him a cheeky smile. “Well, what makes you think I even want your help?”

He shrugged lightly and got to his feet, grabbing his claymore. “Alright then, good luck with being a queen and everything.”

“You-”

Surelin leapt to her feet, laughing, and grabbed him as he tried to walk out of the room past her. “Oh sit back down! You’re not fooling anyone.”

He grinned at her and returned to his spot on the bed. “Sure thing, your highness.”

She cringed instantly. “...Eugh! Please don’t ever say that again. It just sounds wrong coming from you.”

“Alrighty then, your highness.”

Her eyes rolled. “I see what’s going on. You’re being rebellious because it’s past your bedtime.”

His eyes rolled as well. “Yeah, I get it, I’m a child. It’s funny, you’re really clever. Look, I don’t think you need to be overly worried about the leadership thing. You’re a natural at it.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to explain.

“Well, I’m not exactly a good leader myself, but I know what it feels like to be around a good one. You’ve done things here and there that gave me the same impression.”

A frown spread across her face. “Such as?”

“Uh…” he scratched the side of his face, failing to recall any specific instances. “Anyway, look, you’ve got that marshal guy hanging around here, right? Talk to him about it. Hell, I bet even Edea can give you some advice.”

“Thank you, Gideon. I would never have thought to ask either of those people on my own.”

“Oh, whatever! Fuck me for trying to help you out, I guess.”

She laughed and turned to leave. When she reached the door, she turned back to look at him. “Will you come with me to see Kara in the morning?”

“Yeah, sure.”

A big smile spread across her face. “We’ll leave after breakfast, then. Good night.”

He smiled back at her. “Night, Surelin.”

She stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Gideon leaned over and blew out the lantern.