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“But?” Uros squeaked.

“But… the sentence is a decade of work in the lava mining fields. For both of them.”

Uros shot to his feet and paced around the little bench. “They’re too old for that.”

“Uros—”

“We need to save them, Cal, they can’t survive that!”

“I know.” With a calm finality, Cal forced his brother to meet his gaze. “Listen. I got a message from Auntie Ormi. Mom’s cousin, remember her?”

“What did she say?”

“She’s inviting us to visit her. It’s not that far from here; we can be there in a few days.”

A cruel shard pinched Roy’s heart. Selfishly, he’d dreaded the moment when Cal would go back to his old life. Perhaps he’d one day reclaim the throne and forget all about those silly adventures with a seaweed harvester. Maybe one day, even Roy’s name would slip out of his memory.

Roy cleared his throat, then stepped toward his workshop. “I’ll let you two talk. I need to prepare for the market.”

Even Roy’s favourite shanty—the tale of Johnny who wouldn’t leave his rusty ship—couldn’t cut through the fog of gloom. Salt stung at the corners of his eyes as he prepared the seaweed packages, working more slowly than usual.

You old fool. Didn’t you know this would happen?

He slammed the press, the clank reverberating through the workshop.

As if the Universe wasn’t punishing him enough, Cal slipped in through the door. His perfect smile, his intoxicating smell—everything that would soon disappear—threatened to break the dam of Roy’s restraint.

Roy jerked his shoulder, quickly swiping a stray tear from his cheek as he pretended to rub an itch in his beard. “What’s up?” he mumbled.

“I was just wondering.” Cal stepped closer and loaded the seaweed packages into the transport crate. “I know we booked a slot on Thursday for the market, but… could we take the ship to Graxis? That’s my auntie’s planet. I’d breathe lighter if I knew Uros and Addy were safe there.”

“Sure. Just return it whenever things settle there. I guess I’ll try to hire a new pilot—still not feeling like flying alone. Not sure if I ever will.”

“Huh?” With his head tilted, Cal narrowed his eyes. “What new pilot?”

“I mean, now that I have the ship, I wanna put it to use. Makes no sense to sell it right away.”

Tapping his earlobe as if testing the implant, Cal frowned. “Roy, love, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Aren’t you happy with the way I fly?”

“What does it matter if I’m happy when you’ll be gone?!”

The long blue eyelashes lining Cal’s eyes fluttered as he blinked. “Oh. Did you assume I’d want to stay there?”

“You will stay there,” Roy gritted, slapping the lid onto the crate. “That’s your future. Not this run-down cabin and the old seaweed man in it.”

“May I have any say in my future?” Cal hopped onto the table, his thighs clenching around Roy’s hips, pulling him closer. “I’m sorry; we should’ve talked about this way earlier. I just thought⁠—”

“I’m not mad at you. Or regretting anything.” With his forefinger curled, Roy caressed Cal’s cheek. “I knew what I was getting into. Of course you’ll stay with your family. Just—I like you more than I should’ve allowed myself to.”

“Can I say something now?” Cal took a breath. “Please.”

His violet eyes bore straight into Roy’s core. “I do want safety for my parents. They have my love, in some way. But the oceans will freeze before I let them pull the strings again.

“What happened on my planet wasn’t an unlucky coincidence, or some madman steering the crowds. My parents refused to see the suffering of our people. They thought themselves divine, even when our subjects suffered.”

“Isn’t that how monarchies usually work?” Roy managed a faint smile.

“Yes and no. I tried talking to them, only to be dismissed. Do you want to know how I learned about Leo’s involvement in the resistance? We got hit by a stray comet. Four harsh, long-lasting winters, and the crops were at a millennial minimum. Mothers lost their milk and babies starved—I heard the cries at every corner of the capital.” His fingers tightened around Roy’s shirt, his face pale. “Meanwhile, the servants filled my bathtub with goat milk every evening, to keep my skin glowing for my future husband.”