"You went away and left me without saying good-bye," she sobbed.
He let her vent her frustrations on him without protest, and when she was done, he put his arms around her and held her tightly.
"I know I did, and I'm sorry. I never meant to leave you like that."
"Then why did you go? I never saw you to say good-bye."
"I...I had to go," he said. "I couldn't stay here."
"Why? Because of Daddy?"
"No, it was because of me. I had to go and do something for me, something that wasn't some idea or plan of his. Joining up was my way of doing that."
"You could have died," cried Dorothy. "Soldiers get shot at and blown up all the time. I see it on the news every day, even though Mummy and Daddy don't like me watching it. I kept looking for you, I kept watching the news and wondering if you'd been killed."
Arcturus held his sister close as she cried, not having thought about what she must have gone through, wondering if he was alive or dead. His mother and father would no doubt have assured her that he was alive and well, but what force could compete with the imagination of a six-year-old?
"I'm sorry. Dorothy. I really am. I never meant for you to worry about me. I'm your big brother—I can look after myself."
"And who's going to look after me? You're my big brother and you promised you wouldn't let anything happen to me. But then you went away and anything could have happened to me. Those bad men could have come back and shot Mummy and Daddy and me. Or a bomb could have blown us all up or those rebels with guns could have shot us because Daddy has so much money."
The words poured from Dorothy in a rush and Arcturus felt his heart go out to her. Dorothy was a confident, articulate little girl—and a Mengsk to boot—but she was still only six. He realized he had forgotten that.
"Nothing like that could happen," he said as forcefully as he could. "Daddy pays Achton Feld too much money for anything to happen to you. And now that I'm a soldier, I have a big gun and a whole platoon of marines who will protect you. I promise."
She squeezed him lightly and he smiled, knowing he had won her around.
"I missed you," she said. "I cried for a week when you left."
"I'm sorry," he said once more. "But I'm back for a while and I promise I won't go away this lime without telling you first."
"Mummy really missed you. I heard her crying too. Daddy missed you as well. He never said it, but I could tell that he did."
Arcturus lifted her face from his shoulder. "I love you, Dorothy. And I always will."
"I love you too," she sniffed. "And it's okay—you can call me Little Dot if you want.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," said Dorothy. "Now where's my present?"
Dining room and comprising several courses, a wide selection of wines, and a grand fire burning in the iron grate. Angus Mengsk sat at one end of the long rosewood dining room table, with Katherine at the other end and Arcturus in the middle to his father's right.
Dorothy sat opposite Arcturus and sipped from a cup of fresh apple juice. As was customary, Pontius sat at the table next to her, with his own place selling. Arcturus and his father had shared a glass of port before dinner, a breach of etiquette under normal circumstances, but Angus had never liked doing things by the book—a trait he seemed not to know that he had passed on to his son.
Angus had drunk a while port, but Arcturus found he preferred a darker, ruby port, and they had sat on either side of the chessboard as his mother cleaned Dorothy up for dinner. The carved pieces were arrayed for battle, but neither man was in the mood for a game.
Arcturus had defeated his father when he was eleven, and they had never played since.
They spoke guardedly, with Arcturus unsurprised lo discover that his father was just as vocal as ever in his condemnation of the Confederacy. The special target of Angus's ire these days was the fact that the construction of the new Korhal Assembly Forum had been abandoned and the site bulldozed for some overpriced housing development. Of course, the demolition contract had been awarded to a company owned by one of the Old Families, the Tygores, and the new building contract awarded to a firm owned by a distant nephew of Andrea Tygore.
Times changed, but corruption, it seemed, stayed the same.
Arcturus drained the last of his port as his mother and Dorothy entered the dining room. His father smiled at the sight of his daughter, and Arcturus was reminded that, above all the politicking, the railing against the Confederacy, and his complicity in terrorist activities, Angus Mengsk was still a loving father.
The family seated themselves at the table and dinner began, with the slightly strained atmosphere broken by the excited chatter of Dorothy as she spun tales of her preschool class and the many children she played with.
As he watched the faces of his mother and father come to life, Arcturus realized that it must have been some time since Dorothy had opened up like this. Conversation flawed around the table, though Arcturus saw how his mother skillfully steered them all away from any contentious topics.
The first course arrived, a truffle custard garnished with small slivers of pate, and Arcturus made appreciative noises as he lasted the food. Like many wives of wealthy men, Katherine Mengsk look a keen interest in the running of the household, and the majority of the dishes served were ones of her own creation, using local ingredients and incorporating her family's favorite flavors. Small glasses of a light, sparkling wine were served with the first course, which was swiftly followed by a mushroom risotto with baby arugula, Manchego cheese, and a lemon-parsley sauce.
Used to living on a diet of ration packs and mess hall dishes, Arcturus found himself struggling with the sheer volume of food, but a lavender sorbet cleared his palate in lime for a roasted rosemary pork loin brochette with tomato-port sauce and Gruyere cheese grits.
Finally, a shallow bowl of sweet potato pound cake with a blood-orange-and-bourbon glaze and nutmeg whipped cream was served, and after one portion Arcturus knew he could not eat another mouthful.
Coffees were served and a small bowl of mints placed in the center of the table.
"Mother, that was a triumph," said Arcturus as the last of the plates were cleared.
"Absolutely." agreed Angus, and Katherine smiled to see her son and husband in agreement for once.
"I'm glad you approve," said Katherine. "I planned the menu especially for tonight. I wanted us to have a proper family dinner together. It's been too long since we all sat around a table and just enjoyed each other's company. Don't you agree?"
Arcturus hid a smile at his mother's seemingly innocent question, recognizing an iron fist in a velvet glove when he saw one.
"Of course," said Angus, hearing the same thing, and Arcturus looked over at his father to share a knowing look. The ease of the glance and the natural way he had looked over surprised him as much as it appeared to surprise his father.
"I've missed this," said Arcturus. "It's good to be back home."
"I'm glad you're back," said Dorothy, and the matter was settled.
With the dinner cleared away, Katherine hustled Dorothy off to bed, though not before she had secured hugs and kisses for both herself and Pontius from her father and brother. With the women of the household away, the friction that had fled upon their arrival snuck back into the room like a malignant shadow.
"A glass of port?" asked Angus, and Arcturus nodded.
"Ruby for me," he said.
Angus poured two glasses of port and handed one to Arcturus. They stood in silence for a moment, and Arcturus saw his father struggling to find the right words. With Katherine present, conversation had been light and inconsequential, but without her calming influence, the tension between these two alpha males was resurgent.