" Prima, I was wondering if we could all have lunch together again?"

" Of course," he said, smiling.

" Let me tell Lina and Avett," she said, taking out her com. " They went to get their hair cut during our free hour, cos it's gotten a bit longer than regulation..."

" Ah, really? I keep forgetting they have a dress code, honestly."

" Well, you're royalty, so you don't have to remember that stuff, you know?"

She looked over at him.

" You have short hair, anyways."

" It's about the same length as Wille's, so it feels sort of long for me," he confessed, running a hand through if self-consciously.

" Oh, right! You're close with the Commodore General, aren't you?" she asked.

" Well, yeah. He's been supporting me this whole time, you know? ... I feel a bit indebted to him."

" Me too," she said absentedly. " I've never spoken with him, but... I grew up really poor, you know? So I'm happy that I got to leave that. My mother didn't really understand it. I think she was upset about all of it."

" My mother... is a bit like that."