Galahad begins every morning by preparing breakfast for Claudius and then going to training with Lan Wangji. The routine makes him feel settled. In truth, before their marriage, he hadn't been able to imagine that his mornings wouldn't always follow the same pattern: awakening at Matins and then lying in bed for long, suffocating minutes, sometimes as long as an hour, crushed under the weight of despair.

There are mornings he still feels it -- when he wakes, his body is leaden, and the world seems to hold no joy, especially as the days grow shorter and colder -- but now he has a reason to get up. Claudius needs to eat and have real coffee. After that, his lessons must continue. Every day he becomes stronger, more capable. He feels his qi moving within him, vitality and a purpose he's chosen for himself.

The rest of his days are his to order, and there is always a great deal to do, but he especially loves working in the laboratory with Susan and Constance. They're both straightforward and honest, easy to understand. They care about the things he cares about, even if the precise details are different. He trusts them.

He looks up when Susan speaks, and nods. He will need to get his coat first, and: "I want to finish this. It will take--" His gaze flicks to his watch. "Seven more minutes."