The first thing I feel when I wake up is Mortensen’s sturdy body next to mine. I stare at him while he sleeps, as frightening as he is, I can’t help to find him attractive. I don’t know why I feel this way, maybe it’s because he saved my life during the fire or maybe it’s because of all the small gestures he has showed me since I got here but I unexpectedly feel appreciative towards him and I start to think I care for him. I’m still afraid of the commander and I dread every time he looks daggers at me or gets angry, but now my fear is mixed with other feelings he awakens in me that I can’t precisely identify, I just know they are there. After a while, the commander starts to wake. I get up from the bed and go out of the bedroom before he opens his eyes. I don’t want him to know I was staring at him. 

(Leopold’s POV)I walk in circles around my office feeling restless. I am worried that the Ministry of Press and Information is going to find out about what happened last night. I know none of my men would ever betray me, not even Sabrina that resents me for dumping her would be capable of leaking the information to the press, but maybe a nosy neighbor saw something…. If the news that I was attacked in my own house gets out there I will be everyone’s laughingstock and Major Anderson won’t hesitate to use the incident against me. He’ll surely try to convince General Schubert that I am too incompetent to be promoted to Major. I take a seat and I grab my phone, I am about to call Gustav, he is the only person who can prevent this information from seeing the light. I dial his number, the fact that I know it by hard annoys me.

Mrs. Jordan walks to the kitchen and I follow her to see if I can be of any help. “Thank you very much,” she says as I help her make the coffee. “I am sorry we haven’t seen each other more, I was under the impression that Leopold didn’t want you to socialize much and I prefer not to snoop. I know he is a very private person that doesn’t like when others intrude in his personal life so I always try to respect that. I am glad he changed his mind, I’ve been so eager to get to know you better, my son has told so much about you...” “Like what?” I ask flushing with the idea of them talking about me. “Jareth has told me everything that happened to you, he feels so ashamed for his part in it… I’m glad he

Once I get home I start with what has become my daily routine: cleaning, sweeping, cooking, and playing with Baxter while I wait for the commander to arrive. The hours go by and he doesn’t come home. I get really hungry so I eat a little by myself. Once the hunger is gone, I realize how bored I am. I go upstairs and I turn on the huge flat-screen TV. The television I had back home is tiny compared to the commander’s. It is a shame he never uses it.I feel a little nervous to be watching his TV. The truth is I don’t feel at home here, I am a guest and I don’t feel comfortable using the amenities in this house. Everything here is his, his house, his bed, his TV, even me… his Bearer. The evening news appears on the screen and I immediately understand why the commander is not home yet: there was a shooting downtown. The reporter on-site from the Ministry of Pres

Shortly after, Jareth leaves, I go into the bedroom as silently as I can and I close the door. I don’t want Mortensen to know I was listening to his conversation. The commander walks in a few minutes later and looks daggers at me. “Did you hear everything all right or do you want a recap?” He asks angrily. I panic. I look at him unsure about what to say. I can’t deny I was eavesdropping, lying would only make things worse. “When I tell you to do something, it is not a suggestion, it’s an order! Do you understand?” He says with a scowl on his face.“I understand, commander. I’m sorry,” I say shyly. The commander rolls his eyes and then he tosses a document on his nightstand. I assume it’s the copy of the report Jareth brought for him.