Darling clapped Drake on his shoulder. “You need to get back to your mother.”

Zarya didn’t miss the way Darling referred to his mother or the fact that Drake didn’t think it was unusual.

“Not while I’m needed here.”

“You aren’t needed,” Darling said, not with malice, but patience.

Drake clenched his teeth. “You know, I may be emotionally stunted, but there’s nothing wrong with my mental capacity.”

Darling smirked. “Obviously there is, or you wouldn’t be arguing with me.”

Still, Drake stood his ground. “I’m not leaving. Not this time. I’m not a child anymore, Darling. It’s time you stopped treating me like one.”

Darling silently cursed at his brother’s obstinacy. Even though he wanted to choke him for it, the kid was right. Still, it was so hard to see Drake as a man when he was used to protecting him. “Fine. Stay if you must.”

Drake inclined his head to him with a respect he’d never shown Darling before.

“So what’s the next step?” Ryn asked. “You pleased a handful of plebs today, but the gerents will all have seizures when they hear that you sidestepped Derkstig, and sided with the workers over them.”

Ryn was right. They would have a tantrum to make any infant proud.

“I didn’t side with the plebs. I only did what was right and decent where they’re concerned.”

Ryn snorted. “They’re not going to see it that way.”

Again, he was right.

Darling considered his options for a few seconds. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but it was something he should have done weeks ago. If he wanted to move forward as governor he couldn’t postpone it any longer. “I need to call a meeting with the CDS.”

Ryn’s eyes widened in alarm. “You sure about that?”

No… The last thing he wanted to do was voluntarily walk into a room where he would be considered a laughingstock by everyone in it. It was why he’d been postponing it.

But he had no real choice. He’d have to meet with them and let them know that they still had their places with the new regime. That he was willing to let bygones be bygones, and to move forward without going after them for the past.

He nodded, then looked past Ryn. “Syn, how fast can you repair my face using Prillion?”

Ryn was aghast at his question. “Are you out of your mind? You do know that shit’s illegal, right?”

Darling shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure the Tavali”—he cast a meaningful look at Ryn—“can lay hands on it. And it’s not illegal in my empire.”

The look on Syn’s face called him all kinds of stupid, but he thought it over before he answered. “I could have the bandages off in about seventy-two hours, but there’s no guarantee that one surgery will make that much of a difference. Might not make any improvement at all. That being said, there is a new procedure with skin nanos that might accelerate it and do better than standard reconstruction. It’s still experimental though, and I’ve not used it. I’d have to call in a few favors to get someone to the table who might be willing to try it. But again, I can’t guarantee anything. And I don’t know how your body will cope with any of it. We won’t have a clue until you’re under and you know how risky that is.”