“You also have to tell me if you aren’t feeling well,” Leah said, and Ishakan smiled. As if she would ever have to worry about him.

He stroked her cheek, and Leah looked out the carriage windows to the palace of Estia, diminishing in the distance. This was the second time she had gone to the desert.

The first time, it had been been all but a kidnapping, and she couldn’t remember much of it. She had been asleep most of the time, had been far into the desert before she opened her eyes.

Going freely into the desert now under such circumstances showed how much her life had changed, and suddenly she understood why Countess Melissa had been crying.

“Mom?” Lesha had noticed the somber expression on her face. “Drink some water.”

He was so attentive to the comfort of his mother, it was adorable. When Leah smiled, Lesha smiled back.

“Thank you, Lesha.” The boy in her lap brought her so much happiness. Leah hugged her son.

The moment they crossed the border out of Estia, they separated from the rest of the Kurkans. This was the so-called family vacation, and Ishakan fulfilled every one of Lesha’s wishes. They not only fished, but built campfires and even picked berries. Leah was impressed to see that Ishakan did not forget a single thing.

Lesha was so happy, they regretted not taking a trip sooner. Every night he fell asleep with a red face, and shouted happily every morning.

The potion from Morga really helped as well. Leah felt healthy and strong throughout the trip, also thanks to the care and attention of her husband and son. It was as if they thought a strong breeze would carry her off. The first thing they did when they arrived at the next inn was give her another dose of Morga’s potion, and before she slept, Ishakan gave her a full body massage with his big hands. Lesha sat nearby, mimicking his father.

Then they fell asleep together.

After this pleasant journey, they arrived in the desert. It had been so long since she had seen it, Leah’s heart thudded at the endless sands, like an ocean of gold. She felt that she had come home.

It was a strange thought for someone born in the palace of Estia, but every memory she had of the desert was precious. All of the people she loved most had been born there.

“Wow…” Lesha gasped, and tugged at the hem of Leah’s skirt. “Look, Mom, it’s just like me.”

He thought his eyes looked like the desert. The three of them had taken a potion to disguise themselves for the journey. Normally, such magic wouldn’t effect Ishakan and Lesha, so they had had to mix their own blood into the potion. Lesha had frowned, to see his eyes change to a common brown.

“It’s not similar, it’s exactly the same,” Leah replied.

“I love the desert,” Lesha whispered in her ear, smiling, and then added, as if he might have forgotten to say it. “I love Mom, too.”

Leah smiled.

“I love you, too.”