Of course, Tommen was taking a constant stream of photos, and his drone had recorded the whole encounter. This would obviously be the new focus of what should have been a fluff piece about the palace.
“Madge, walk with me,” Ba’sh said to Slaite, holding in his sigh of frustration.
She buttoned her lips and marched alongside him, the staccato rhythm allowing her shorter legs to keep up with his longer ones.
When they reached a small stand of pines that gave them a modicum of privacy, he stopped and faced her.
“I apologize, My Ruler,” she said immediately. “I thought he had a weapon.”
“I appreciate how protective you are of the family,” he told her. “But I think you need to let your hair down a little. We’re at home now.”
“Vigilance doesn’t take vacations,” she said, quoting some famous warrior from her ancestors’ homeworld of Maltaffia.
“Nonetheless, this level of suspicion is putting everyone on edge,” he told her. “The other nanny quit because of the atmosphere. We want to provide a workplace that feels safe.”
“A workplace that feels safe?” she asked. “Or a workplace that is safe?”
“Ideally both,” he told her. “I have a head of security and a detail on around the clock. We have stealth drones, cameras, and sensors all over the grounds. I think it’s time for us to take comfort in the fact that we have done all we can.”
“On the contrary,” she said. “You need to beef up security. Your detail is lazy. And sure, you have all those digital things, but they’re only as good as their operators. Besides, no one can see them. Anyone might think they can just get a job here and then try to take you out.”
Which brought up another unpleasant point.
“No one can get a job here,” he groused. “You have a backlog of applicants a parsec long who haven’t been approved. The garden is only half-staffed as it is. And now we’re down by one more.”
“My Ruler, if you are dissatisfied with my work I will resign, effective immediately,” she said stiffly.
“Of course not, Madge,” he said, sighing. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. You’re indispensable to me, and your loyalty means the world.”
She stood a little straighter, which he wouldn’t have thought possible, but didn’t respond.
“Why don’t you take a few days off and relax?” Ba’sh continued. “When you come back, we’ll regroup.”
“A couple of days off?” she echoed in horror.
“Absolutely,” he replied, choosing not to respond to her tone. “Pick a destination if you want, I’ll pick up the tab from my personal funds. No one deserves a break more than you do.”
The golden circlet he always wore in public was meant to repress his psionic powers, and it did a good job of blocking out all but the strongest emotions. Even with it on, he had no problem reading his longtime colleague and companion now.
She felt betrayed and hurt. And she was filled with despair that something would happen to him and the children while she was away.
Madge had been with him long enough that she was like an aunt, or even a second mother. It pained him to see her hurting. But he was convinced this was best for her.
“We will be extra careful while you’re off, Madge,” he told her gruffly. “I promise you.”
She buttoned her lip once more and marched away without another word.
He stood looking after her for a moment, feeling a little heartbroken for her. But this was just one of the drawbacks of hiring passionate people. At the end of the day, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Besides, with her away, maybe he could work through a bit of the backlog of new hires himself. Even if the palace wasn’t quite complete, it would be good to have a full staff onboard.
He headed back toward the party, happy to hear Pia’s laughter on the air. She was excited for the adventure of the move, but he could also tell she was nervous. He wanted to do his best to give her some structure she could rely on.
If he could just get the nanny situation straightened out, they would be off to a great start.