Reuben shook his head, deciding it was best not to let his thoughts wander. He had once considered making a run for it after returning to Blumedale, hoping he might find an opening.

But now, it was clear that the smart move was to follow the rules, behave, and wait for Andrew to willingly set him free.

Natasha asked, "Darling, what about the other eight mercenaries? None of them are from Holtrien. If we kill them outright, could that stir up trouble with foreign powers?"

Andrew replied flat