It was a blessed miracle and it was one he didn’t take lightly. He didn’t care that his son knew nothing of the aristocracy or diplomacy.
Actually that wasn’t true and he knew it. “Caillen speaks thirty-eight languages and most of the dialects of each one. Fluently. Not just tutored versions learned through instructional vids and teachers. He knows the idioms and the culture as well as the natives. He understands the intricacies of their politics and laws better than I do.” He cast a meaningful stare at Bogimir. “Better than most cultural advisors I’ve known.”
More than that, Caillen knew how to fight better than the top ops of his elite forces. The first day Caillen had been in the palace, he’d found twelve holes in their security and had shown them how to shore up their defenses.
His son was brilliant.
“Sire—”
“Don’t.” He held his hand up to cut off Bogimir’s words. “You will train him and you will treat him like the prince that he is. I want no more arguments.”
“Yes, Sire.” Bowing, Bogimir left him.
Evzen sighed as he turned toward the mic on his desk where he’d been talking to his brother before Bogimir had interrupted them. “Did you hear all of that?”
“I did indeed.”
“And what do you think?”
Talian took a minute to consider his words before he spoke. “You want my answer as your top military advisor or as your devoted brother?”
“Both.”
“As your brother, I agree with you completely. Even though he’s less than diplomatic, Caillen is brilliant at assessing situations and determining how to handle them—if not always at defusing them. You couldn’t ask for a better successor.”
“And as my advisor?”
“He’s impulsive and brash with an overdriven libido that has him chasing anything with breasts. Left unchecked, he’ll drag us into war over something completely stupid like shafling someone’s daughter and wife, probably at the same time. He has potential, but I think Bogimir is correct. He lived in the gutter too long. Had we found him sooner, he might have been salvaged. Now… he doesn’t belong in our world and he isn’t adjusting to it at all. Truthfully, I don’t think he wants to. Let him go home, Ev. For all our sakes.”
Evzen’s chest tightened at those words as grief choked him. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing Caillen again. Yes the man was rough around the edges, but he was funny and highly intelligent.
He’s my son. Most of all, he had faith in Caillen. In time, he had no doubt his son would adjust.
Yet Evzen was owned by his people. His first priority had to be their safety and welfare. It was a mantle of responsibility he wanted to bequeath to his son. But if Caillen refused…
I have to try.
Evzen met his brother’s gaze on the monitor. “Let’s see how he does on the Arimanda.”
Talian heaved a sigh of remorse and disgust that said his brother was nowhere near as thrilled to have Caillen back in the line of succession as he was. “I’ll assign an extra detail to him.”
“Why?”
“The Qillaqs? Remember them? They’re sending an entire quorum for the assembly. And I can see this disaster coming. You know how their women dress… or more to the point, don’t. Whatever we do, we have to keep Caillen away from them.”
His brother was right. The Qillaqs were a warring race who tolerated no one easily and especially not offworlders or men. One wrong glance and they’d attack.
And so would Caillen.
Evzen frowned. “I thought they had declined the summit.”
“They did originally. But I received word this morning that their queen herself will be joining us. Apparently there’s something of great import she wishes to declare before the council. Our luck, it’s probably an act of war. Let’s just hope your son doesn’t make it one against us.”
Evzen watched while Caillen argued with Bogimir in the room. Maybe he should leave Caillen home while he attended the summit. But he didn’t want to be away from his son for two weeks. Not when they were still getting to know each other. Not to mention the fact that Caillen was an expert in negotiating with the Krellins and was even well acquainted with their crowned prince. They desperately needed a trade agreement with them that he’d been working on for three years with no progress. If he didn’t get that to go through during the summit and be ratified by the council, it would be three more years before he could attempt it again. By then, their colony, which needed supplies and protection, would be destroyed and all her citizens enslaved. His people couldn’t wait six more months, never mind three years.
Caillen was the only hope they had.
Therefore he’d take his son and watch him.
Closely.
He had all faith that everything would turn out just fine.
Until he remembered Caillen’s favorite saying. Never underestimate a Dagan’s ability to screw up the best-laid plans.
And right now, his son still considered himself a Dagan.