It was well past midnight now, and all I could do was count the hours until sunrise. But at least my boredom meant that America was safe. The day had been uneventful except for the final confirmation of the coming visitors. Women. So many women. Part of me felt encouraged by that news. The ladies who came to the palace tended to be less aggressive physically. But their words could probably start wars if said in the wrong tone. The members of the German Federation were old friends, so we had that working in our favor securitywise. The Italians were wild cards. I’d thought of America all night, wondering what her appearance on the Report meant. I wasn’t sure I wanted to question her about it, though. I’d leave it to her. If she got the chance to share, I’d listen. For now, she needed to focus on what was coming. The longer she stayed at the palace, the longer I had her with me. I rolled my shoulders, listening to my bones pop. Just a few more hours to go. I straightened and caught a set of blue eyes peeking around the edge of the hallway.
