I took a piece of the smoked meat, closing my eyes as the salt and fat hit my tongue.
"But one thing at a time. First, food. Then, I cuddle my babies until they're tired of me. Then, I am going to look at those boots. If I'm going to run a kingdom, I'm doing it in decent footwear."
As I ate, the four of them sat with me—a silent, powerful circle. The tension from yesterday's 'hallway punch' was still there, lurking in the corners of the room like a shadow, but it was suppressed by the sheer relief of having the family back together.
"So," I said, pointing a tuber at Noah while my mouth was half-full. "Tell me more about this 'stalking' lesson. If Raiden ends up scaring the beavers so badly they stop building, you're the one who has to haul the stones for the watchtowers."
