“Where he can stand guard over his family,” said Savine, gliding forwards with her best smile. One Leo rarely saw these days.

“Savine! You look breathtaking, as always.” They embraced while Leo stood by, grimacing at the ache in his stump. His mother held Savine out at arm’s length, taking in her clipped hair, her clothes, her scar. “And thoroughly modern, of course.”

“I could say the same of you.”

“But you wouldn’t dare, because it would be rank flattery.” Already they were wandering off, arm-in-arm, leaving Leo to lurch painfully across the acres of floor to a side table so he could pour himself a drink.

“Is that necklace Osprian work?”

“I’d forgotten how good your eye is— Oh!” Leo’s mother had frozen on the threshold of the nursery with her hands pressed to her face. “Are these…?”

“Who else would they fucking be?” Leo wanted to snarl at her. He bit his tongue, loitering in the doorway while the ladies advanced on the cribs.

“This is Ardee,” Savine was cooing, lifting one of the babies. “She’s just been fed, so this is the ten breaths in which she’s happy.”

“She has your eyes,” Leo’s mother flung over her shoulder at him.

“I hope not,” he muttered. “They’re about the only things I have that still work.”

All his mother’s attention was on the bundle in her arms, that gormless grin on her face women get around babies, as if making a sucking sound is a heroic achievement. “Oh, she’s a weight! You forget. Can I ask…

have your parents…?”

“No,” said Savine. “No sign.”

“I’m so sorry.” Leo’s mother put a hand on Savine’s arm. A touch of simple support and sympathy. A touch she never gave him. “I was very much looking forward to seeing your mother again. I always enjoyed our chats.”

“It would be nice… to know what became of them.” Savine put her hand on top of Leo’s mother’s. Squeezed it. As if they were parent and child, and Leo was a pushy visitor getting in the way of their reunion. “But there are so many people who lost family in the Great Change. I suppose… one learns to live with the doubts. And I have a new family now.” She beamed down at the children. Leo didn’t get so much as a glance, of course. That would’ve been far too much to ask.

“So you do.” Leo’s mother handed Ardee back and leaned over Harod’s cot. “I suppose this must be His Majesty.” He gave a panicky clutch at the air as he was picked up. It always annoyed Leo, seeing his softness. Made him want to shake the boy, tell him to be a man. The way his own father had always done.

“You shouldn’t coddle him,” grunted Leo.

“Surely that’s exactly what a grandmother should do,” she said, fussing and rocking and squeaking.

Leo had always imagined he’d be a wonderful father. To a boy, of course. A little copy of himself he could give a little sword to. They’d ride and wrestle and fence together. He took a sip of his wine, but it tasted bitter. How could he do any of that now? Holding them was hard enough, with his one good arm, his one good hand. All he could do by way of playing was dangle the useless fingers of the other in their faces.