"If you're entitled to change the rules at any time and then punish me for infractions, and you're entitled to punish me for disobeying orders, and sometimes you give me orders when I am in serious pain and barely capable of processing speech - do you understand why this makes it hard to feel like I'll be fine as long as I follow the rules, and hard to feel like following the rules is something that I can reliably expect myself to do - "

Hug. "I mean, I would take into consideration whether you disobeyed me because you were in too much pain to move."

She snuggles him. She's crying silently again.

"Does it - count as disobeying you if you tell me to do something and I stop to ask you whether it's a punishment - "

"No."

"I'm so scared. I can't - figure these things out when they're happening - "

"I think - I'm not actually enforcing any rules my brother didn't, here, I think there's got to be a way for it to work out okay and not make you scared all the time..."

"I guess."

"I don't want you scared all the time." 

The door opens. It's Fazil.

"That took forever. You're lucky I had Korva here to distract me from wondering what was more important."

He lowers himself to the floor. 

"I beg your forgiveness," he says.

Sigh. "Stand up, give me a summary."

"The council is debating two variants of the tax plan. It'd be useful if you weighed in on them. I have a couple of letters you could sign, depending what you think of the tax plans. Inaam thinks you should dismiss some council members who are in his opinion being unconstructive in the discussion, if you want the plan hammered out faster. I have their names. The meeting with Xerbystes is in four days, we can't move it, and ideally you'd talk to some people in foreign affairs about what's going to be covered and what you should make a point of saying."

"I still can't -"

He doesn't finish the sentence.

"Should we plan to have someone attempt to impersonate you at the meeting, your majesty?"

Snort. "Wouldn't they notice?"

"Almost certainly."

Sigh. 

"Korva wants to pass you letters. I've approved this. If I hear rumors my wife is involved in policy I'll hang you and yours."

"Yes, your majesty."

She shivers and doesn't say anything.

"Well, didn't you want to write some notes?"

- it's so hard to think, now, with Fazil being threatened in her presence - she doesn't know if there's another way for rumors to get out - it means that she needs to be very very very careful with Zakiya and with Verita or else Fazil could end up dead, and then she'll have no one else who can talk to Hagan for her about anything - she wonders if they've thought of mindreaders, if someone could mindread either of them and find out -

She nods.

"Or don't, if you'd rather not. Is there a letter that says we don't care how many people starve, there's more where they came from, we'd like our taxes promptly and the council can cease its hand-wringing, I'll sign that one."

"Yes, your majesty."

...does she have paper in reach?

The desk next to the bed has paper and ink. He signs things.

She grabs some paper and ink.

Can you bring copies of the tax plans with summaries of their differences and - is there a way to give me comprehend languages so I can go over it with the Pharaoh while he recovers? Can you bring notes about what's likely to be discussed at the meeting with Xerbystes?

I want to observe that in theory someone could mindread me and find out that I am trying to help my husband, without this being your fault. I don't want to say things out loud, so there's no ambiguity about who I'm speaking to, but I think you should tell my husband that I have observed this.

She hands the paper to her husband.