“Hello, Sal. Good morning,” Tom was reclined in a deep imprint of a couch in the living room.

“Were you here all night? But it’s not so late to call it morning,” she mused as he sat upright, in obvious discomfort.

He had been there only for an hour, and she didn’t choose to doubt that. Rather, Tom understood that he should manage his health for when duty resumed, and unlike some, he only had physical fitness to work with. Before, his body hadn’t been in as good a condition as even Sally or Stein’s.

“You shouldn’t worry about my health. Nick hasn’t said a word to me, nor have I heard him speak, in the last few days.”

She looked around and wondered whether they were quiet enough to say what they wanted.

“I don’t think we’re close enough to help him if Ella and Luna couldn’t. I think the funeral will help us.”

“Yes. I hear you’re in charge of planning?”

“I am not,” Sally said softly, “Ella had lost schedule kept for knight personnel. This is first death ever in the Squad and it wouldn’t be dignified to have two processions for us and relatives. We had to decide for ourselves whether an acquaintance would attend or not. I understand his familial situation was also poor in the past. We will definitely force the few people to confidentiality.”

“That’s horrible,” Tom was loud enough to hear through the doors.

“I know.”

“Then we must continue to carry on, then.”

“Yes.”

The funeral was naturally private, and honors were carried out by the prince, whom the Lawrence family did not recognize as anyone other than a direct superior, even if he finally did look regal again in his attire. He squinted in the uncharacteristic and early heat present in the middle of winter.

Without words the military nature of the procession was clear, as none of the other knights wore dresses or suits, but uniforms, and though the official report hadn’t been published, they understood that it was not as deadly as it could have been.

A young and handsome knight was too injured to properly wear his coat. They were saddened also by the others’ ages. They seemed plastic, and inhuman, and while two of them were baronets, they had never seen those siblings anywhere.

They were made to promise the secrecy of there being a need for Special Forces in the city, and the affair was over as suddenly as it started. Nick promised that he would do everything to minimize the son’s shame.