Alec was finishing his slice of cake when his father returned to the kitchen. It was just as good as he remembered. Possibly better.

"Josephine has spent the last three weeks trying to perfect that cake for you, even though it was already fantastic. Personally, I hope to never see another slice of chocolate raspberry cake ever again," his father said.

"Oh, you poor man, forced to have cake from the best baker in the kingdom. I weep for you," Alec deadpanned.

His father just smiled and shook his head. It was how they talked to each other.

"I take it you want to telegram the palace?"

Alec nodded. "Donovan was concerned Kieran might...well, might do exactly what he did. He'll want to know we arrived."

Alec could see that his father was curious about the nature of Donovan's concern, but fortunately did not ask. Alec absolutely did not want to discuss the nature of Donovan's relationship with Maren with his father.

"It was Donovan's idea that we leave when we did," Alec said.

He hoped to dispel any concerns that Donovan might have intentions of interfering with Maren's engagement. As it turned out, it was a lot more uncomfortable being between Donovan and his father than Alec thought it would be.

His father must've read the discomfort on his face because he raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"It's none of my business and if I have questions I certainly won't be asking you."

Alec sighed. "I really hate when you do that."

He knew his father was very good at reading people, but he always found it unsettling when it happened to him. Usually Alec was the one reading others.

"It's good for you," his father said with a smile, and then asked, "Can I eat my cake first?"

Alec laughed. "I thought you didn't want any more of it."

His father shrugged. "It's excellent cake."

"That's fine, take your time," Alec said.

He knew Donovan would be on tender-hooks waiting to hear from him, but a few more minutes wouldn't really make a difference. Alec didn't know if the palace staff would even deliver a telegram so late. All things considered, it was possible that Donovan wouldn't see the telegram until morning, so there was no need to rush.

His father got his slice of cake from the ice box and sat with Alec at the table.

"I told Maren, Captain Carstairs is getting a group of men to stand guard overnight, and I'm going to have him continue with at least one squadron here for a few days. Just in case," his father said.

Alec sighed. "I wish I could tell you it's unnecessary, but..."

"My personal intervention in a checkpoint should have been unnecessary."

It was very rare to see his father so irritated. But Alec couldn't blame him. It absolutely should have been unnecessary for him to intervene. Gods, the checkpoint shouldn't have even existed.

He had always known that Kieran was terrible, but Alec would not have imagined that he would go so far as to kidnap Maren and beat her. None of them had.

Although, unlike Maren and Donovan, Alec already knew some of the horrors Kieran inflicted on his mistress. From what Callista told him, Alec gathered that Kieran used her as an object on which to take out his frustrations. As a rule, Alec was more respectful of trash bins than Kieran had been of Callista.

Alec also got the distinct impression that the poor woman's torment at Kieran's hands was far more extensive than she let on. Callista was already mortified that she had to tell Alec as much as she did; he thought there was a great deal more that she didn't share.

So, perhaps Alec should not have been surprised by what Kieran did to Maren. Certainly, he would not hesitate to do it again.

Alec sighed and shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it. He just hoped that Kieran would not be so cruel to the next girl.

So, he turned his attention to something else that bothered him.

"That might have been dangerous for you, coming out to the checkpoint. It could have been ugly," Alec told his father.

His father shrugged. "It was a mission of intimidation, not force. Since I was there, the Captain was not obliged to liberate you through violence."

His father suddenly looked regretful. Alec was fairly certain he knew what it was about.

"It isn't your fault if Kieran kills those men. That certainly isn't a normal disciplinary action," Alec said.

His father smiled. "I really hate when you do that."

Alec laughed. Conversation between the two of them was always filled with reading each other's faces.

"It's good for you," Alec said, grinning.

His father's expression shifted to something more serious. "How bad is she? I mean, she's obviously in pain but got the sense she was the sort to pretend she's fine even if she isn't."

Alec shook his head. "'Fine' was precisely what she insisted she was all day. Well, at least until the end."

Alec thought it likely that Maren would be embarrassed in the morning about speaking so bluntly to his father, but he knew his father wouldn't mind at all. Bluntness was welcomed in the Drake household.

"But to answer your question, she's not in any immediate peril but will need several weeks to recover fully. As for the rest...well, I'm a physician, not a psychoanalyst."

And there it was, yet another reason why he wanted to keep people in their own compartments. It was awkward to treat someone he knew well. He knew the extent of Maren's injuries, at least the ones she told him about, but he knew them as her physician and not as her friend. So, it really wasn't right for him to disclose the details without her explicit permission.

"Gods, we are so lucky Kieran was born second," his father said. "I cannot imagine how abusive he'd be as king."

Alec shook his head. That was a nightmarish thought. He didn't really like to think about it, because he knew Donovan wanted to marry Maren but he absolutely had to have a son and the sooner, the better. Kieran needed to be at the bottom of the list of possible successors to the King.

He hadn't understood why Donovan couldn't marry Maren before Kieran assaulted her. But now that Alec knew that Maren was a Light Wielder and unable to have children, he saw how problematic that would be. The fact was, Donovan had to have an heir, and Maren's failure to produce one would put her in danger and jeopardize the kingdom. Even if Kieran died before Donovan and never became king, Alec was hard-pressed to believe that any children fathered by such a man would be suitable rulers. There was something wrong with him.

"All right, I'll go and send it now," his father said when he finished his cake. "What do you want it to say?"

"Just 'here' is fine," Alec said.

Donovan did not need to know about the near miss with the Trackers at the checkpoint just yet. Alec knew he'd be outraged, and he was already furious and grieving. Donovan was liable to do something foolish if he found out Kieran had nearly arrested Maren. Alec would tell him, but not until he returned to Court after the wedding.

"Go to bed, Alec. I'll clear up when I'm done."

Alec yawned hugely. "Normally, I'd clear up anyway, but after driving all day and nearly getting arrested, I won't."

His father clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're home, son."

Alec smiled. He was glad to be home, too.

"Aren't you going to thank me for bringing you a wife?"

His father shook his head. "For a matchmaker, you arranged a perfectly awful introduction."

Alec chuckled and watched as his father left the kitchen. He knew his father hated the fact that the first words out of his mouth to Maren were overly familiar and using his title to break the rules. Alec also knew Maren was probably horrified that his father had to rescue her. Perhaps they would bond over it.

Alec got up from the table and went to the third floor of the house, where his rooms were. He and his brothers all kept their childhood rooms at the manor, even after settling on their own. They all visited frequently and no one else needed the rooms, so it was only fitting.

His rooms were impeccably clean and just as he left them at his last visit. He had earned them by default when the family moved into the manor because none of his brothers wanted them, but Alec had always loved the rich green wallpaper and dark wood furniture. He didn't have a sitting room, not that he required one, but he had a dressing room and a fine washroom in addition to the bedroom.

The first thing he did, the first thing he always did, was open the windows so that he could hear the waves. His room didn't have an ocean view, those were on the other side of the house where the Duke's and Duchess's Suites were, but the house was close enough to the water that you could hear it with the windows open.

Alec sighed and collapsed on his bed. He thought he was due a bit of rest and relaxation. He'd been rather stressed about the whole situation between Donovan and Maren for what felt like ages. He had worried both his friends would struggle with the separation, and he was right. And, then going nonstop from the moment Donovan barged into his office the day before (gods, was it only the day before?) until arriving at Worthingham had done nothing to improve his nerves. Moreover, the business with the Trackers had been extremely disturbing, and he was still worried about Maren and her condition, and his father, and Donovan.

Alec thought he might need to spend at least four hours on the beach every day just to relax a bit.

It would be a fine prescription. Perhaps he'd also see if he might spend some time with Seb.

Alec smiled at the thought. It would be somewhat tricky to arrange, but not impossible, especially if he and his squadron were guarding the estate.

He thought of Seb menacingly stroking his rifle while he glared at the Tracker. At the time, the standoff was unpleasant, but in memory, it was delightful to see Seb that way.

Alec hadn't known he was back from Clifton, but was glad their paths had crossed. He had not opened the compartment Seb was in for quite a while, but found he was looking forward to doing so.

Yes, relaxation and company would do him some good.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to vote!