216 C: Friction

Brendan was frustrated. Or maybe he was just annoyed. But at the same time, part of him was incredibly happy with how life was going.

His happiness was concentrated on his son, although he suspected that much of it came from the break the arrival of his child was giving him from political maneuvering. His memory records held very little information about child care, but they weren't completely empty. There had been Kings who had lost their Queens during the first few years. And there was nothing stopping him from gathering outside information.

His irritation was directed at Rafaela, though if he thought about it for a moment, he could separate part of it from her. He was annoyed with her duties as the King of Eks Corp. He was also frustrated with her priorities. She wasn't making time for their child during his early development. Even though they were both living in the King's residence, she was hardly spending more than an hour a day interacting with Avery.