Page 18 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

Caden blinked.For a moment, he imagined Tilly older, walking beside him with a tablet just like Chione did with Valerius.She would have the cool composure that Chione possessed.She would handle politicians and powerful people of all stripes with a dry, but polite disdain.She would be utterly loyal to him. He blinked and the image disappeared, but when he looked at Tilly head on, he could see a shadow of it.

“Yeah,” Caden said slowly.“I’m sure she would.”

In fact, he would ask Chione himself.Wally and Rose were already his advisors, but Tilly would have a very important role.

Tilly’s smile faltered for a moment and she put a hand to her chest as she said with a little awe, “You mean that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do, Till.I’m going to need you.I’m going to need all of you,” he added as his gaze took in all of his family sitting before him.

“We will be there for you, Caden,” his father assured him, and that assurance was welcome this time instead of suffocating.

Now that he was really going to put himself out there as the Ninth Dragon Shifter, the full weight of that responsibility fell upon his shoulders.He would need as many people in his corner as possible.And his father was no longer fighting another battle for himself, but was now fighting fully for Caden.

“And what about you, Dad? Going to take that job clerking for Justice St.John?”Caden lifted an eyebrow at his father.“You looked really chummy together earlier today.”

“Grant?”His mother’s voice rose in shock.

His father squeezed her hands.“I was going to tell you after the Faith event, but…” His father’s lips twisted.“Butthingsgot in the way.”

“Yes, things.”His mother nodded sadly.“I just can’t believe that people I knew--thoughtI knew--could do something so awful.”

“They’re zealots, Mom.”Caden frowned deeply. “It’s not logical.And I think that certain people can hide parts of themselves when you’re not looking for that kind of crazy.”

His mother nodded again.She looked up at his father.“Will you take the job clerking for the Chief Justice?”

His father gave her a wan smile, “Do you think I would turn away from helping decide the most important legal questions of the day?”

She gave him a smile.“No, of course not.”

“Besides, I don’t think it would be proper for me to be representing people any longer since my son will have a role in ruling this world,” his father said with a long breath.“Working for the Supreme Court will have apuritythat I have longed for in any case.”

“And it will be safe.The Supreme Court is as safe as High Reach.Maybe safer,” Caden said and felt a welling of relief at that.

“Everything is going to change, isn’t it?”His mother asked.

“Yeah,” Caden said.

“But not for the worse,” Tilly pointed out and gestured around them.“Have you checked out all the incredibly cool tech?Not to mention that the staff comes in and like brings you anything you want including frozen Cokes and Pixie Stix--”

“You’ve already asked the staff for things?”Their mother’s eyebrows rose perilously into her hairline.

“Uhm… maybe?”His sister’s shoulders lifted up.

“Hmmm, Tilly, we must not take advantage of them.They have more important work to do than fetch you things,” their mother cautioned.

“But they didn’t seem to mind!”Tilly protested.“They even asked me what kind of mattress and pillows I’d like! There were so many choices.Hard.Soft.Medium.Down.Down alternative.”

“Tilly!”Their mother scolded.

“So I shouldn’t mention that you were smelling over two dozen different kinds of bath soap and other toiletries for the one that you liked best?”Their father mentioned teasingly.

His mother flushed.“Oh, well that was because they asked!I didn’t--”

“And I didn’t either, Mom!”Tilly crowed.“They seemed to really care about what I wanted so I told them.They even have a list of my favorite foods.”

“How are we going to pay Valerius for all of this?Even with my new salary, I am certain that it won’t cover all of this,” his father said.

That was a good question and, yet Caden was sure that he already had the answer.“I don’t think Valerius will want you to pay for anything.”

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