When Varian and Isadora returned to Hortus through the space gate, they were exhausted. Hazel fainted long ago and wouldn't seem to wake up until a week.
Watching her taken on stretchers, Isadora snickered. "She's just like a chicken."
"…" Varian didn't even bother to argue against her analogy. Only fools argued with frustrated people, much less frustrated women.
He returned to the palace, took a warm bath and was greeted by Sarah.
Without a word, he carried his wife to bed and hugged her to sleep.
When he groggily opened his eyes a few hours later, his head was resting on the Queen's thigh.
While brushing his hair without thinking about it, Sarah was holding a meeting with the ministers of the Empire.
She was using a mouthpiece that directly transmitted her voice to the channel without disturbing him.
The participants in the meeting could only see her cold and serious face.
