“Ah, a highly skilled line of work, I am given to believe. I, unfortunately, do not have a mathematical mind. I would be useless behind the counter.”
He could have spent longer talking to the women about their work, but there were others in the room also waiting for their chance to speak to the demigod, and there was a whole hospital beyond, waiting to be explored. He did his best to get around as many people as he could, but his time was finite in the hospital and he hadn’t even seen any of the patients yet.
The chairman eventually wound his way over to Leander and politely ended the conversation he was having with two of the cleaning staff before gently ushering Leander out of the room with more smiles and more waves.
“I think we will head directly to the paediatric ward, it is just after lunch, so the children will be full of energy!”
Leander inclined his head in agreement, quite content to be led anywhere. It had just occurred to him that he had been down in that room for a good two hours and he had consumed only one glass of sparkling wine. For a moment, he felt surprised that he hadn’t even thought about getting a second (or even a third). Then, he felt a warm swell of an emotion he couldn’t quite place, but he liked it all the same.
Best to be sober for the children, anyway.
“Do you have any children of your own, Chairman?”
“Two, my lord. The Gods have blessed me with a boy and a girl.”
Leander knew full well that the gods had given no such blessing, but he would not correct the man, knowing how important faith was to mortals. “How old are they?”
“They are now grown, with their own children. I have seven grandchildren, the youngest is not yet a year old, my lord.”
Caelum spoke with evident pride, though Leander felt a thread of wistful regret as he fell silent.
“Are they all… well?” he decided to probe.
“Hmm? Oh, yes. It is just that my son lives with his wife in Eslirie. I do not see him or his family often and now with the current… political climate, even his letters are taking longer to arrive. If, indeed, they arrive at all.”
“I am deeply saddened to hear that.”
“It is an unpleasant situation, my lord. But I have faith that your mother will guide us through like she has for hundreds of years.”
Nowthatsentiment Leander could get behind. He couldn’t comment on the past few hundred years, but in the twenty-eight of his existence, he could honestly and categorically say that his mother loved Saeren and its people.
“Let us hope for a swift resolution to the mounting political tensions,” Leander muttered as they rounded another corner and were greeted by a colourful door painted with butterflies and rainbows. They had arrived at the children’s ward.
“Oh well that would be ideal, but we are harbouring a fugitive.”
Leander bristled. “Prince Jarr?—”
“Oh, please do not mistake my meaning, my lord. I amnot disloyal to our king, who has opened his home up to Prince Jarryn. I myself have allowed the prince to visit the hospital. He has come to be a regular visitor and generous benefactor. In fact”—craning his head to look around the ward, Caelum indicated to a mop of dark hair—“there he is, here today.”
Following Caelum’s pointing hand, Leander recognised the exiled prince from a distance with a little thrill. He never knew what sort of welcome he was going to receive where Jarryn was concerned. He always hoped for a positive one.
But he wasn’t here for Jarryn. He was here for the children. Led onto the ward, he first greeted the nursing staff before the chairman put him in their capable hands to meet the children.
Those who were not bed bound ran at him to demand hugs or to be picked up. Even those who were lying in their beds grinned at him with bright expressions. None of them knew who he was (which was refreshing) but they were clearly thrilled to see a new face and they all wanted to be his best friend.
“Who would like to hear a story?” Leander eventually called out over the hubbub of noise made by the tiny humans.
There were shouts, giggles and screams and the unanimous vote was yes, they would very much like to hear a story.
“Settle down then, settle down.” Leander glanced around for a chair. When he didn’t see one, he shrugged and crossed his legs as he sat on the floor. Unsurprisingly, one of the more clingy children found her way into his lap.
“Okay, have you heard the story of Felix the Fox?”
There were cheers in the negative and Leander grinned and settled in to tell his tale.
“Once upon a time, in the heart of the Enchanted Forest, there lived a mischievous fox named Felix. Known for his cunning ways, Felix had a reputation for spinning tales that were as garnished as they were untrue. The forest animals were all very aware of Felix’s penchant for weaving falsehoods and lies, but they had never taken it too seriously, for his lies were small, and unimportant.
“One day, as the animals gathered near the Wise Owl’s tree for their regular council, Felix strolled in with a sly grin on his face. He claimed to have discovered a magical pond deep within the forest, where the water could grant special powers to anyone who dared to take a sip.”
