Guess who's coming to breakfast?

"Yes, and I want to see everyone else as well." He stood, feeling a little relieved and anxious to see the others now that they were on his mind again. "Thank you for a lovely breakfast, Mrs. Harrowden."

"You're welcome anytime," she assured him warmly.

After saying his goodbyes all around, and making sure that they would let the rest of his siblings know he was home, Aleyn retrieved his hat and put it back on, getting ready to leave. "You'll make sure to ask Miss Sinsinger..." Len began, and Aleyn cut him off with a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"I promise I'll mention it to Kallista, okay? She might be kind of busy the next little while, but I'm sure she can find a few hours sometime to help you get ready for your tests." Aleyn opened the door and held it for Vedran.

"Thanks again, it was nice to meet everyone," he said before Aleyn ushered him out into the street.

"I think that went pretty well?"

"Yeah, I thought so," Aleyn said. "I'm sorry about Bretyn being nosy - if it's any consolation, he's not in the gossip rags, he's unlikely to care about ...us, so much as about what inside information you might be able to tell him about politics. And... I didn't mean to abandon you alone with my mother, sorry."

"I got that impression, about your brother. Partly I was hoping that even if he might be that type, that hopefully he wouldn't want to put *you* through it. As for your mother... I like her. She's a little terrifying, but that's just because she wants to make sure you're well taken care of, and that's fair."

"I'll have a talk with Bretyn, don't worry. And I'm glad you like Mom - she likes you too. Believe me, you'd know if she didn't. Most of Tavya's boyfriends never make it back."

"I guess they never look scared enough... Anyway - off to the Union?"

"Everyone's going to be so happy to see you," Aleyn told him with a smile. "I mean, not as happy as me, but still pretty happy."