"Al," Dy murmured in my ear.

I struggled to open my eyes and smiled up at her. After moving into the stronghold, she had gone back to her more casual dress style. Her jacket with the many different buttons was never far away and she didn't tie her hair up all the time either. She had abandoned suspenders though and just wore her shirts buttoned up to under her collar bones, hanging over her trousers.

This was the most beautiful version of her. During the war she was always dressed in simple black or white uniforms, to blend in with the surroundings. It was a hard look, and while she did pull it off, I enjoyed her softer look a lot more. She looked more comfortable too. She moved differently. Much slower and gentler, as if donning the uniform made her into another person, sort of. This was the real her. Not the fierce warrior she had to be. No, Dy was an artist. She enjoyed beer and jazz. She loved tattooing.

My girlfriend was gentle despite how hard she looked. She was loving and happy, despite looking so serious a lot of the time.

I grabbed her shirt and got her into bed with me, pulling the covers over her. "Come nap with me."

"I was thinking we'd do something else besides lounging about all day today," she said and kissed my cheek. "You've made another spiritual connection, Al. You've earned more tattoos."

I smiled and opened my eyes again. "You wanna tattoo me?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright."

Dy almost jumped out of the bed and hurried into the sitting room. I got dressed in the most comfortable clothing I could find and joined her in the sitting room sofas. She had gotten everything ready, testing out the machine, making it buzz.

"Where am I getting tattooed today?"

"I was thinking right in the middle of your face. Wouldn't that be nice?"

I couldn't help but snort. "Oh, I'm sure the press would love it."

Dy laughed and nodded. "Princess spotted with boobs tattooed in her face," she quoted, making fun of the voice in the radio.

"I'm sure I'd look marvellous," I chuckled.

"But in all seriousness, it's your arm again. Left, as we need to work from your wrist up now."

"Lovely." I smiled and pulled up the loose sleeve on my oversized shirt.

She quickly sketched on the patterns, the same she had on her left arm. It looked much like a mesh-net, covering half my forearm and then circles interrupted by crosses going right through them, meeting with a dot in the middle. I had always loved those on Dy and was so happy I'd get to have them too. Happy she'd let me indulge in this part of my culture, despite my mother having severed her ties with her tribe.

It had done wonders for the relationship between Aatskina and Andaheim too. My relationship to Dy and me picking up the customs. It had been noticed both here and back in the mountains. The press called me the Aatskina Princess now. I didn't mind it. They could call me whatever they wanted as long as it didn't include 'queen'. Quinn was sitting king and would continue to be as long as everything was still happening. Not that I actually knew what was happening.

For now, I was just existing. Awake occasionally but mostly sleeping. I needed the rest. I hadn't slept for two years.

Dy wiped my skin with a soft washcloth and that was me finished. I looked down at the new tattoos and smiled.

There was a lot to do. A lot. I didn't even know the full scope of it all, but both Jura and Islo helped me. As did the newly elected representative from the Aatskina tribe. A tattooed woman named Saal. She was always very bubbly, and she brought in a lot of joy to the meetings. The representative from Paamut was a little more reserved. But I understood why Halla was still reserved. The last time she had been here, I had declared war. There had been much explaining to do. And I still had to prove myself to her. I didn't mind though. Every day we worked together, I was thinking I proved myself more and more.

Al didn't appear for any of the meetings, but it was alright. I made sure no one bothered her or her girlfriend. They both deserved a break after everything they had done. I was just happy to have my sister back home. And actually owning my home again. It was ours. The rebels had been imprisoned and awaited trial.

As did Dreki. I wasn't sure what to do with him. The Bursaaq representative, a very pale woman named Rakuul was adamant about punishing him harshly, but I wanted this to be a fair trial. Nothing he had done had been fair, but I refused to be like him.

"Quinn," Barr said with a quiet voice.

I looked up from my notes. He stood in the door with someone I hadn't met before.

"Are we interrupting?"

"No, come in. I needed a break anyway." I rose to my feet and picked up Àlvar from his crib. He was standing in it, holding onto the railing. He had been hitting a mobile with small dragons hanging from it for a while, filling the sitting room with laughter.

He immediately balled his little fists in my shirt and leaned his cheek against my shoulder. He was so affectionate, and it only grew stronger every day. He was like that with everyone. Gentle and kind. Just like my older brother.

"I wanted to you to meet Huqqa," Barr said almost proudly and grabbed the hand of the stranger. He was scrawny and those glasses did nothing for his face. Neither did the half-missing eyebrow. Barr had said Huqqa wasn't a beauty, but I uh... Underestimated what he had meant there. It was safe to say, Barr was not a superficial man.

"I've heard much about you," I said and smiled, shifting my son to my hip, freeing up a hand so I could shake his.

Huqqa took a second to stare at my hand before he shook it. He quickly retracted his hand, touching his forehead. I did the same. Aatskina people and traditions, I thought to myself, but didn't say anything. We sat down in the sofas.

Huqqa looked visibly uncomfortable. Something I was getting more and more used to. I was the king and people were generally uncomfortable around me. It was also uncomfortable for me, but not so much anymore as in the beginning.

"Coffee?" I asked and glanced up at Àbram to fetch us something.

"Uh... No thanks. You don't have to get me anything."

"Huqqa, Quinn won't be getting it for you," Barr explained and snorted. He gestured towards Àbram. "Àbram gets Quinn whatever he needs."

"Oh, gods. I'm rude. Sorry, hi I'm Huck." Huqqa hurried to rise and bowed for Àbram, touching his own forehead.

Àbram's eyes widened and he looked to me for answers what to do, I reckoned. I had no idea. No one had ever greeted my personal servant like that.

"It's... A pleasure." He hesitated a little and then bowed back. "I'll go fetch some refreshments."

"Maybe something stronger than coffee too," I said and Àbram snorted, offering me a quick nod. "So, I've been told you've been working on a brace for my husband's leg," I tried, refocusing my attention on Huqqa and a maybe more comfortable subject for him.

"Y-yes. It should be possibly to apply some pressure and some support in the right places, and it'll elevate some of the pain he's feeling."

"He'll be happy to hear that. Thank you for helping us. I hope you've been comfortable at the stronghold?"

"Very much, yeah. Thanks. It's just weird living in a castle."

Barr snorted. "Huqqa's house is not his. He has rooms inside of a house that are his, but the whole house is not."

"That's called an apartment," I said. "It's like this." I gestured to the room we were sitting in. "Except I also own the rest of this place. But I prefer to spend time here. This feels more like home."

Àlvar fussed a little and I helped him stand up on my thighs. He laughed and started pulling on my hair.

"I'm sorry we haven't met sooner, but between being the king and a father, I haven't had much time," I said apologetically and pulled one of my son's fists out of my hair. Instead he found it amusing to poke me in the face. I grabbed a stuffed dragon toy and handed it to him. He immediately found that much more amusing and plopped down in my lap, shoving the tail of the dragon in his mouth.

"It's alright. I've been... Busy... As well." Huqqa looked over his shoulder as Àbram came back into the sitting room, this time with a small trolley containing coffee and something stronger. Good whisky and some wine.

Àbram knew me too well and poured me a glass of wine. He looked at Barr and Huqqa expectantly, waiting for their orders.

"I would like what Quinn is having. Quinn has good taste," Barr said and smiled widely. Àbram smiled and handed Barr a glass too.

"Uh... I..." Huqqa looked at Barr.

"He will have the same," Barr said and took Huqqa's hand in his.

Huqqa took his glass and sniffed before taking a sip. He smiled a little. "This is good."

"Thank you. It was a gift from Kabir. To thank us for sending them some of our electrical engineers to help them with nationwide electricity."

"I was in Kabir. With Al. It was very beautiful there," Huqqa said and leaned back against the backrest.

"I hope to go someday too. Al said it was a fantastic place."

"You'd probably need to do some king... Business... Or something, right?" He shrugged a shoulder and I did the same.

"Maybe. Who knows? When all of this is over, I think I'm owed a vacation where all I do is watch my husband in as little clothing as possible and play with my kid and step-daughter."

Huqqa snorted. "Sounds like something Al would say."

"Well, we're siblings." I couldn't help but laugh.