"Hahaha. You know if I could suddenly make your family royal, I'd do it in a heartbeat," Peony quipped jovially, making a passing reference to the problem that had eaten him from inside for years. But even if he could do something like that, it wouldn't do any good, would it? She was married, and-

..and things like that weren't worth thinking about. Not here, not now.

Surprisingly enough, Peony could get serious when he had to, and his talks with Jade could seamlessly switch between moods. "Well, there's always the chance that they don't know about the hyperresonance. Even if they did, and they used the Fabre boys - I don't think their goal is to kill us. If it was, they would have done it by now. Easily. Just take one of those syringes and hold you while they poke it in your neck!"

He wiggled his toes in his slippers. "When's the next time that's supposed to happen?"