Goodness is a garden that provides life to thousands of blooms. It does not rule. It gives.

Another week blurs by.

One sunny morning, as my mother sits at my bedside and talks to me softly, I feel Red’s presence approaching us from down the hall. I turn away from my mother and toward the door, then straighten as Red walks in with several Karensan soldiers. The sight of him is a comfort, as always, but today, seeing the red coats still sends a flutter of fear through me. I tense.

It’s okay, Red’s voice echoes in my mind. His eyes meet mine, then skip to the woman standing to his right.

Mayor Elland.

My mother narrows her eyes, annoyed with them for disturbing her daughter’s rest, and Mayor Elland clears her throat. I almost laugh at the way that my mother can make even the mayor hesitate in her boots.

“Talin Kanami,” the woman greets us. “Glad to see you doing well.”

I just give her a single nod, then wait for her to continue.

She approaches us, then takes a seat beside my mother before facing me. “How do you feel?”

I tilt my head slightly at her. “Strong enough,” I sign, letting Red translate. “I should be back on my feet soon.”

“Good.”

“Why is that good?” I eye her. “What do you need?”

She glances briefly at my mother, who simply sits back in her chair and regards the woman with an icy stare. Then the mayor lets out her breath and leans forward on her knees. She fixes her eyes on me.

“The Karensa Federation is leaderless,” she says. “I currently manage the affairs inside Cardinia, but there is a need to fill the Premier’s seat.”

“The people are calling you Steelstriker, Talin,” Red adds. “They know what you did on the roof of the palace, and your name is on their lips at all hours.”

I look back at the mayor, who gives me a nod. “I’ve heard the same in the streets. Many are calling for us to appoint a new leader soon.”

A new leader for the Federation.

I frown at Mayor Elland. “I’m surprised you aren’t stepping into the role.”

She shrugs. “I have no interest in ruling the entire Federation,” she replies. “I’ll let that honor fall to someone else. I’ve done enough.”

Red comes over to my bedside. His fingertips brush mine, and through our link, I hear his voice, followed by a rush of warmth.

You don’t have to do anything, he insists. There’s simply a lot of support for you.

I stop myself before I can respond, letting the words sit in my own heart. If I step forward to lead the Federation, what will happen to us? He will have no choice but to step up with me. We could control the Federation together, side by side, sitting at the top of a system that had once brought each of us so much suffering.

But to him, all I say through our link is, I know.