I pleaded with my parents to take me away but they said that with my father forever on the move with the army my education would suffer from lack of s...ability. The trouble was that I wasn't in a position to argue that misery was doing just that because I had subconsciously taken refuge in becoming a swot. That didn't help my popularity much as you will doubtless imagine.Public school started just as badly, if not worse. There was a boy in my house who had left our prep school the term before I. I quietly opened the door and let myself inside. The house was mostly dark. There was a faint light visible under the door of Mounika's new room. But my destination was at the other side of the house. I stepped into the bathroom adjacent to Priya's room. I very carefully shut the door. In the light of the nightlight I unpacked my overnight bag. I brushed my teeth. I undressed and then taking a wash cloth from the drawer I washed up a bit. I took my phone and one other item and quietly. I finished the outfit with a pair of Karen's black flats.Karen then turned to my hair. The Father had not permitted me or mywife to have haircuts in six months. My wife's bob had turned into longhair, while my hair was getting long itself. Karen combed out my hairas I watched the Father's daughters lead my wife out of the cottage andto our new home.My wife entered and saw the new me. She had tears in her eyes. Karenannounced to us that we would be sleeping together in one of the fullbeds. I was. "He nodded to the emperor, "my lord has expressed his gratitude. When he learned what your clan council was going to do he contacted his niece."He turned, "she is here as an exchange student studying your legal system."I looked and realized the girl was in her late teens. She smiled and put her hand on the emperor's voice, "my cousin is trying to say they asked if I would meet with you and consider a bond marriage."I snorted and shifted as I moved to the other side of the bed, "there are no.