The bowl of food in Kel's hands shook and nearly fell to the ground.
"Er.. the energy I used last night?"
She glanced back up at the colonel, who was intentionally avoiding meeting her gaze.
"Well, just let me know if you need more," the man nodded politely, though rather awkwardly, before disappearing back into the bustle of camp.
Later on, when the Emperor's office back in the capital city received the same man's latest report from the field, Ira's pen shook the same way Kel's bowl had.
With a sigh and shake of his head, the overworked aide tossed the letter to the edge of his desk, where a curious Lucy snatched it up.
"... the emperor has been spending his nights with a young new recruit," the woman read out loud, attracting Thane's attention as he lounged on a nearby sofa.
"What's that you guys are looking at?" the knight's head popped up over the sofa's edge. "Who's it from?"