"You're lucky that Liana loves her Uncle Janco," Yelena said.
He glanced up. Yelena and Valek stood there watching him.
"Sorry," Janco said. "I'm sure Uncle Ari will do a better job of babyguarding her."
"It depends if he passes his test or not," Valek said.
"You're going to test him, too?" Janco asked. His mood lifted at the thought.
"Not us, Onora. This is her test. We were just helping out."
Janco huffed, but had to grudgingly admit he'd been well played.
"But you can't tell him," Yelena added.
"I won't. There's no fun in that! Can I help with Ari's test?" Janco asked.
"Of course. You can babyguard Liana."
"I can?"
"Did you hear that, Liana?" Janco asked.
The baby gurgled.
"But next time, we're not leaving the castle. No adventures. Well...maybe not...we'll see."
"Janco." Valek's tone held a warning.
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "We just won't tell anyone."
THE END