Gabriel nearly choked, and started coughing. Victoria's face burned and she seemed unable to gain her voice as the guard waved them through.
"Sir–" He tried, and was overcome by coughing again.
"I said move along! The day is getting old and there are a lot of people to process. Go about your business and get out of the way!" The guard snapped, and wiped his sweaty brow.
Gabriel glanced at Victoria and nudged his horse forward. The eager animals were all too ready to be inside the city and closer to rest and feed.
He didn't know what to say to diffuse the tension between them. He groped about for something to say, some joke to make of it, or an apology that wouldn't sound as if he was offended by the guard's assumption.
Nothing at all came to mind. It was a frustrating quandary.
"I did not realize you were planning to sneak us into the city as children," Tom grumbled from behind them.
"That wasn't the plan!" Victoria said. "I didn't realize he would make that mistake!"
Gabriel's mouth twitched at her indignation. Since she'd known the halflings when she was, herself, a child, it was natural for her to treat them like peers. It seemed to slip her mind entirely that other humans did not see things so simply when appearances indicated otherwise.
"There haven't been halflings in the city since… last time you were here, probably," Gabriel offered with a small grimace. He didn't want to bring up ill memories of when the halflings were enslaved to the Void and forced to be spies on its behalf. "Most humans here aren't used to seeing any. Many probably never have at all, at least that they realized."
"I suppose." Tom's voice was monotone as usual, but Gabriel sensed he was still offended underneath his unflappable exterior.
The city was packed. People coming and going made the roads crowded and the horses' progress towards home slow.
"We didn't talk about it, but do we go straight home to rest first, or stop by your brother's house?" Gabriel alluded vaguely to the king since there were so many ears around on the street. No sense drawing extra attention to who they were as long as they had the halflings with them.
Victoria studied him for a moment. "It's afternoon, so the Council won't be in session. Let's see if we can invite ourselves for dinner with our niece and nephews."
Gabriel nodded, and turned his horse in that direction. The others followed, picking their way through the streets. Barefoot Cetoan refugees mixed with native Klain and nomadic Rhone in a melting pot of humanity.
"There's a lot more activity than before," Victoria observed over the din, "I hope everyone has what they need."
"It's a challenge, for certain," Gabriel replied. "The efforts to farm enough food are underway, but it might be a rather close call until harvest time. It's better than when the Cetoans first arrived already."
The streets had been teeming with people that day. The injured, hungry, mourning Cetoans had overwhelmed the city, and many of the locals were outside trying to help in what ways they could, offering food and aid of many kinds.
Now, the people had settled into a more muted version of the initial frantic push to get all the refugees food, housing, and medical attention.
"This is better?" Victoria's voice lowered, presumably so that the halflings couldn't hear her.
Gabriel had refrained from detailing just how hectic and heartbreaking it had been to see an entire nation of people stream, homeless, into Klain. Broken and hurting, Roland's cousin Caspian had been the binding force keeping the spirit of the Cetoan people from shattering entirely.
"The people of Klain have done a wonderful job in caring for those that have come seeking help," He offered by way of explanation. "By the time I returned from my mission to the sea, everyone had been found shelter on a long-term basis."
"It's unfair that I went off for adventure, and you had more than one in my absence," Victoria criticized lightly.
"You chose your adventure, I chose mine," He cut his gaze over to her, testing if she was teasing or actually bitter. "Besides, I think being kidnapped counts as an extra adventure on your side. In the end, we both did our parts to make a difference."
He glanced back at the halflings and then met her eyes. She dropped hers in contemplation. Did she not realize that it was entirely her doing that the halflings were willing to come to Klain? They had valuable knowledge about the portals, and magical herbs of various kinds, though granted not much of them.
Klain needed all the allies it could get, especially ones who didn't eat much. Who knew how Shayn and Simone were doing with the giants?
"And yet, Papa will likely hound me again about finding my place in the world," Victoria grumbled.
"He loves you," Gabriel assured.
"I know," She offered him a smile. "I can fully love and appreciate all the wonderful things about him while also being a little miffed about one thing he does that frustrates me."
The man chuckled. Victoria had a knack for getting to the point of things.
They rounded the corner and Roland and Finn's house came into view. Roen and Ivan were sparring with wooden swords in the side garden while Lily watched.
Victoria pulled up her mare and swung down. Lily trotted over to embrace her aunt, while the boys were engrossed in their competition.
"Mama says they're worse than Papa and Uncle Riley," Lily confided by way of greeting as she gestured to her brothers. "I'm glad you're back."
"I'm glad to be back," Victoria agreed. "Is your papa here?"
"He's inside with Mama and the strange man," Lily said, making a face. "They sent us outside so the adults can talk, but he's short enough to be a kid, so I don't see why we had to leave. Did you bring more small grown ups with you?"
Victoria glanced at Gabriel, who wore a curious expression, and then back at the halflings.
"It seems they did," Ivan stepped up beside his sister, panting. A bruise was forming across his brow.
"Do you want a cold cloth for that?" Victoria asked with soft concern.
"No, I'm well enough," He said with an air far more mature than his years. "Just a glancing blow. Let us take your horses to the stable, Uncle Gabe. We can handle it, and maybe that will make dinner be ready sooner. I'm starving!"
"Hush," Lily chastised him, "We shouldn't complain about such things."
Gabriel caught on faster than Victoria did, dismounting and stepping closer.
"With all the people… there is much rationing?" He asked quietly. Victoria frowned. She didn't like asking such things of the children, but Gabriel tended to talk to them like they were adults, capable of talking about mature topics, within reason.
He'd hated being kept out of the loop when they were young. Ivan and Roen were also far more likely to be blunt and honest about things like this, so she couldn't exactly fault him for the question. It still made her uncomfortable.
"Not much rationing, for us at least," The triplets looked at each other as Ivan spoke. "Mama says all the growing children need to be fed first, and especially us since we're working so hard on the farming."
"You force your young ones to do field labor?" Tom asked, having dismounted to join the conversation. "I do not recall this from my time posing as one."
"In difficult times, everyone helps," Victoria shot the halfling a look. "Let's go inside, these young ones have kindly offered to care for the horses."
Tom nodded to Bran and Harry, who slowly got down and handed the reins to the triplets who were their own heights. The children regarded the halflings with respectful curiosity, but did not introduce themselves.
Royals did not usually encounter people who did not know their identities already.
The halflings did not offer their own names or ask the children's, perhaps thinking the young ones were beneath their attention, other than as laborers. Gabriel stepped closer and whispered in Victoria's ear.
"They said there's another strange, small man inside," He said. "Are there other halflings around?"
His breath across her cheek sent a pleasant shiver down her back. She stepped away, unwilling to let herself enjoy it. Distance was best for her mental state.
"I suppose we'll have to go in and find out." She shrugged. "Standing here isn't going to solve much, is it?"
Victoria tried not to glance back at him as she led the way forward, a little ashamed that coldness was her best defense against revealing her feelings for him. She turned instead to the halflings and spoke cheerfully.
"Shall we head in?"