A/N: I did say this would be the second of a two-parter, but there's more to come. I noticed this was getting lengthy, so I thought I'd split it into two stories. That way I can post and you can read! :) By the time you see this I should be working on the next one.

§ § § - - October 10, 2009

Noelle Tokita took over supervision of the children as soon as Christian and Leslie arrived at the main house that Saturday morning, and Christian waited there, working on problems with a client's website, while Leslie accompanied Roarke and Rogan to the plane dock to see their latest guests in. This time, Roarke put Rogan in charge of both fantasies—the first time he had done so—and instructed his reluctant relative to keep a sharp eye on them both, check in on them regularly, and report back equally regularly. "And you really must stop finding excuses to detour to your greenhouse," Roarke added severely, "since you have an unfortunate tendency to forget what you should be doing and instead become engrossed in what you wish to be doing."

Rogan got a guilty look about him and chanced a sheepish grin at his father's cousin. "Well, ye know how I get around me plants, uncle," he said with a shrug. "But then again, it should make me good with the potions, don't ye think?"

"You may as well stop wasting that vaunted Irish charm," Roarke said, unmoved. "It won't work on me. Just assure me that you'll do as I've instructed you, and then simply do it without excuses or questions."

"Unless those questions have something to do with the fantasies," Leslie put in.

Roarke nodded. "Precisely."

Rogan stared at him and protested, "But if ye leave both fantasies up to me, what're ye two plannin' to do all weekend long?"

"See if you can handle it," said Leslie.

Rogan awarded her a dirty look and turned to Roarke. "Is that true?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we'll do," Roarke assured him. "You've had several months of extensive training and assistance from both Leslie and me, and now it's time to find out whether you're capable of doing this without destroying the business Rory will one day be taking over. I have little doubt you're quite capable, Rogan; your dedication is what leaves a great deal to be desired, not your ability."

Rogan grumbled what sounded like invective in Irish Gaelic before shaking his head. "Ye're a sadist, uncle. And I want words with that benighted tribunal before ye go. In the meantime, I may as well get on with it. Tell me, might I have th' use of your study, or am I to send those poor blighters off into their fantasies from their bungalows?"

"From here, as always," Roarke said, unruffled. "We will be here should you need us, but I should be quite impressed if you could manage without using me or Leslie as a crutch, just this once at least. After all, the day will come when you have neither of us."

Grumbling, Rogan gave in, and for the next hour or so Leslie and Roarke—and Christian, once he had solved the website problems—looked on while Rogan took charge of both fantasies and managed to get their guests started for the weekend without any glitches, even minor ones. Roarke, pleased, told Rogan he had done very well and suggested he make a few of the usual rounds. "I need to speak with Christian and Leslie."

Rogan tossed the latter two a curious look, but kept it to himself. "Aye, very well, uncle. I guess I'll see ye around lunchtime." Roarke agreed, and Rogan departed, looking as if he would have preferred to stay.

"I presume," Roarke said as he took his seat behind the desk, "that you two have had a chance to discuss this issue in some depth."

Christian nodded, settling into one of the leather chairs and watching Leslie lower herself into the other. "We decided it was time to weigh the merits and drawbacks of staying here on the island or returning to Lilla Jordsö. While we realize the final decision is ours alone, we thought we should speak with you about it before making it."

Roarke nodded. "Tell me what you considered."

"Since Christian's always been so fierce about his privacy, we talked about that first," Leslie said, gazing at her folded hands in her lap. "Overall, he's had more privacy here than in Lilla Jordsö, but when we talked it over in depth, we realized that it sort of evens out. We seldom get accosted by the media over there, not even when we land at or take off from the airport, or go out for excursions in the city. I mean, sure, we see photographers shooting us from a little ways off, and those pictures show up in the magazines or whatever, but most of the time they keep their distance. Carl Johan laid down a few unassailable new ground rules about media contact after that press conference where Christian and I described what we saw the day Gabriella died..."

"What did happen?" Roarke interjected.

"One TV-tabloid reporter, who has done her utmost to harass us for nearly thirty years, essentially took over the entire conference and asked all the questions," Christian said tightly. "I was already irritable from lack of sleep, but her actions and the way she worded her questions simply set me off. Carl Johan agreed with me and drafted the new rules."

Roarke nodded. "I see. Have they worked?"

"I'm told they have. Rudolf was out all summer doing planting projects, as he's done each summer for several years now; and he said there were only two occasions on which he encountered unexpected media people. Both times, they were respectful and asked if they could take photos, and because of that, he agreed to it. So it seems things have become much more peaceful on that front." Christian smiled. "I suppose my father and Arnulf either enjoyed the publicity or didn't care what its effects were, and Briella was probably too busy wrestling with parliament to worry about the media. So it's turned out to be a relief not only that Carl Johan had those rules put into place, but that they actually work."

"Then we talked about our working lives," Leslie said after a moment's lull. "I won't go into detail on that, but what it boiled down to is that I'd be primarily a mother no matter where we live. Here, I could supervise the administrative committee, which unfortunately doesn't really appeal to me; or, in Lilla Jordsö, I could tutor the children in English. That's something I have more confidence in myself about, because I'm a native speaker and I could probably do a fairly decent job teaching the language. So that would be an advantage for moving. And Christian would be closer to all his other offices. I mean, from here, he has to fly at least twelve or fourteen hours to get to any one of them. In Lilla Jordsö, two are within three or four hours' flight, and the Boston office is a day away."

"Would you keep this branch open?" Roarke asked.

Christian nodded. "Yes, I think I would. When it got down to it, I didn't feel right about closing it and putting Anton, Taro, Jonathan, Julianne, Beth and Darius out of their jobs. Anton's proven to be a very capable manager, and I trust him implicitly."

"What about living quarters?" Roarke inquired.

Christian and Leslie looked at each other. "That was probably the biggest one," Leslie admitted. "It's obvious that we'd stay in our house if we remained here on the island, but we went back and forth for an eon about where we'd live if we moved. We've been spoiled by having an entirely separate living space to ourselves, here on the island. And on top of that, there's the fact that Gerhard, Anna-Kristina and Margareta all live outside the castle with their families...or spouse, in Magga's case, since they don't have kids."

"My sister has said we should live in the castle," Christian said. "Ready-made living spaces and someone to do all the heavy work for us. And there's also the fact that all four of our children could have their own rooms...for that matter, their own suites, never mind just one room. That would delight them no end, I'm certain. But I've lived outside the castle nearly half again as long as I lived in it...and I'm used to doing certain things for myself, such as cooking and certain cleaning chores. And Leslie has never been comfortable dealing with servants at every turn. Even Ingrid made her feel slightly extraneous at times."

They laughed a little at that, and Leslie shrugged. "I suppose I could get used to not having to worry about housework...laundry, dusting, vacuuming, making the beds, that kind of stuff. But then, I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do with myself. So it was one big argument for us living outside the castle. The only thing Christian could think of that he missed about the place was the atrium."

"You could have a home custom-built," Roarke said.

"We thought about that too," Christian said through a sigh. "The expense is the main obstacle staring us in the face with that option. And then Leslie brought up the fact that one has to maintain a house—keep it in good repair. That involves such things as roof replacement, painting the exterior perhaps, making sure the plumbing and electrical systems are in good working order...and of course, there's lawn care as well. If one isn't inclined toward such pursuits and finds them daunting—as I admit I do—it's probably best to give up that idea and take up residence in the castle. All the suites are furnished, although I can think of at least one piece of furniture I'd prefer to take back with me, along with quite a few personal artifacts, both necessary and frivolous. And then, of course, there are all the electronic items—computers, DVD and CD players—which has made me curse the lack of global uniformity in electrical-wiring systems. However, the expense of acquiring new ones is nothing compared to home ownership."

"Indeed," Roarke said. "So it appears you and the children would join those of the family who still reside in the castle."

"Seems so," Christian agreed with some reluctance. "I think Leslie and I would insist on choosing a different suite, though. The one we currently use was once Anna-Kristina's, and at this time there's no one in the royal suite—not that we would ask to move in there, for eventually Matti will take up residence in there. There are several dozen suites to choose from in fact, so we could take our time about it while using the current one."

"What of the children?" Roarke asked. "As I understand it, the educational systems are a bit different, at least in the early years."

"It'd be as if the triplets had an extra year of kindergarten, that's all," Christian said. "We have lekskolan—this translates literally to 'playschool'—for six-year-olds, which can be said to be the equivalent of kindergarten. And they wouldn't be necessarily repeating their current year of school. They would be learning certain things about jordisk culture: it's usual for lekskola teachers to read their students the most well-known jordiska fairy tales, teach them folk and traditional songs, make them familiar with the national anthem and our flag, and give them some familiarity with the royal family. More subtly, the children would gain familiarity with the culture, the games jordiska children play, the current slang used by young people, pop-culture references, and other such things."

"They'll make new friends, too," Leslie added softly.

Roarke and Christian both noticed at that point that she'd been quieter and quieter during the discussion, and studied her. "You sound dubious, child," Roarke said.

Leslie looked up, and for the first time they could see disquiet in her expression. "The kids will make new friends, but I...that's one thing I've been really worried about. In a way, it takes me back to my childhood before I was orphaned—having no friends and not really knowing how to go about making any. For me, having to leave my friends behind would be the biggest argument against moving. It was a drawback for Christian too, but not quite so much; he'd probably get back in touch with his old friends Pelle and Ernst. But I'd be starting from scratch, and I don't really know where I'd even try to begin."

Christian released another soft sigh and Roarke sensed they had been over this subject more than once during their talk. "Leslie, as I said, start with Anna-Laura and Amalia. Have them talk about representing some charities with you, and give you some idea of what's out there, and you can choose what most appeals to you. From there, I'm sure you'd meet women you have things in common with. And it's not as if you'd be totally cut off from your friends here. What with e-mail and even video chat, you could keep in close touch with them as often as you wished."

Leslie's cheeks colored, and she cast Christian a sheepish, apologetic look. "I know, I know. I guess I'm just hung up on that particular thing."

Christian smiled. "Believe me, my Rose, I do understand. I'll miss Grady, Nick, Kazuo, Jimmy, Fernando and Brian just as much as you'll miss Maureen, Lauren, Michiko, Myeko, Camille, Tabitha and Katsumi. I know it won't be the same as being able to see them anytime you like, but consider it—you left behind a friend or two when you moved cross-country as a child, didn't you? And, Michael's forbidding it notwithstanding, you'll recall that letters were just about the only way one could stay in touch with old friends after a move like that, in those days. Yet I suspect you survived."

Leslie grinned. "Yeah, I guess so. The only friend I remember missing was Spencer Gray, after we moved. I'd probably get over it after a while. And there's Skype, right? The only bugbear would be the massive time difference."

"Yes, I'll admit, that's a major point, but even that isn't insurmountable. You and I had instant-messaging chats in the years we were waiting to marry, and we faced the same obstacle and overcame it. There's a way around everything, my Rose, if you give it enough thought. So don't worry, all right?" Christian leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Roarke smiled, watching them. "And what would you do with your house here on the island?" he inquired.

"Keep it," Christian and Leslie said together, and grinned at each other. Christian went on, "It's a good investment, and we've played with the idea of renting it out if we could find someone who was interested and whom we could trust. We haven't come to any solid conclusion on that, but we see no reason to sell it."

Roarke nodded, glancing back and forth between them. "I believe you've made your decision, haven't you?"

They both nodded, and again Leslie looked at her hands in her lap as Christian said gently, "We'll be moving to Lilla Jordsö, but not for some time. The primary motive will be allowing the children to finish their year of kindergarten here; and in the meantime, I can begin making arrangements to shift my personal business operations to Sundborg, while Leslie familiarizes herself with the administrative committee and sees to it that it's running well and smoothly. We'll also make arrangements for shipping certain of our belongings to the castle in preparation for the move, and if we can come to some sort of decision about the house, we'll act on that as well."

"But we decided we'll come back for the summer, every year," Leslie said, meeting her father's gaze. "It's the same thing as when Michiko used to come back here each summer when Errico was alive. This way, we'll be able to have our own time here, keep in close touch with all our friends, and see that the triplets and their friends remember one another too. It..." She swallowed and looked at Christian with such gratitude that it made Roarke smile. "It was Christian's idea, and it was pure genius."

Roarke nodded. "I approve wholeheartedly." He sat back and smiled. "I believe you two have covered all the most important points, and I must admit, I was half expecting you to make the decision you did. When all is said and done, you are part of the royal family, and there's no doubt that you've made yourself unique in all the world, Christian, leaving your native country to take up residence in another as you did. But under that circumstance, it simply makes sense for you to return and make your home country your primary residence. I will say, however, that I'm glad you'll be spending summers here. I think it may be wise for you to keep an eye on Rogan." He winked at Leslie, and she burst into laughter.

"You're probably right," she remarked, noting Christian's grin. "But you might want to impress on him the importance of checking his e-mail at least once a day, and of being more detailed, thorough and forthcoming in his messages."

After a moment's levity, Roarke queried gently, "Have you explained to the triplets what will be happening?"

Christian and Leslie exchanged a guilty look. "I didn't really want to say anything before we had to," Leslie admitted. "And they're just old enough that they'll probably object to the whole idea of moving. But the worst of it will be trying to make them understand what's going to happen to you. It'll be hard enough just because I don't completely understand it myself. I..." She caught her lip between her teeth and sent Roarke a beseeching look. "I was hoping you could help us break the news and explain it a little bit."

Christian nodded when Roarke looked to him. "I'd be at a loss for words myself. It's difficult enough to explain it at all, but to try to explain it in terms a five-year-old could grasp...it's beyond me, I'm afraid."

"I'll do what I can," Roarke agreed. "You need only let me know when you're ready to tell them. But I wouldn't wait too much longer."

They murmured acknowledgment of his gentle warning, but he could tell neither of them was prepared to deal with the problem just yet. For the moment, he was willing to let it slide; but he made a mental note to remind them again before the month was out. Taking a breath and gathering the strength that seemed to fade a little more each day, he changed the subject. "What time were you told to be at the hospital to witness Anna-Kristina being brought out of her coma?"

Christian tossed a glance at the grandfather clock. "About four, if I recall correctly. Perhaps you should come with us, Mr. Roarke, in case she asks to hear more recollections of previous fantasies. It may have seemed like a joke before, but she herself mentioned it."

"I wonder if they're going to put her back under if she turns out to still be susceptible to those mind tricks the serum tends to bring on," Leslie mused.

"We'll have to wait and see, that's all," Christian said through a sigh. "Since we have to wait till this afternoon, I may as well go into the office and try to make myself useful. I hope in the meantime the two of you can find something to do besides wait for Rogan to make some major mistake." He grinned when Leslie rolled her eyes and Roarke shook his head, departing the house after dropping a kiss on his wife's lips.