Li settled into life in Solaris much more quickly than he had expected to. Within days of their return, Ardlac had helped him acquire a suitable wardrobe for his new life as a resident of Nairiume and the lover of an Asir who worked for the royal court. He also began learning how to braid and ornament his own hair, which was decidedly more difficult than Ardlac made it look. In truth, he was learning to enjoy the feeling of Ardlac arranging his hair for him and wondered how long he could get away with being insufferable at it so Ardlac would continue to braid his hair for him.

Ardlac soon began his new career at the palace, and Li spent his days learning the Nair language using the books in the library at the house. Ilya was rather helpful, teaching him words and phrases through daily conversation. Li regretted never asking Ardlac to teach him himself while they were on the Gryphon, but neither of them had expected to be living their lives together in Solaris until recently. There had been no reason for him to learn the language other than curiosity, and Ardlac had never seemed interested in teaching it. He was, however, excited by Li's almost daily progress, and took to helping with his education as well.

Once he had an understanding of Nair language and currency, Ardlac put him in charge of the household accounts, stating that he spent too much time at the palace managing the accounts that went along with the purchases he made that he hardly had the patience for managing the household ones. Li was quite happy to help, as it gave him something to do so that he no longer felt as though he was living there at Ardlac's expense and with nothing useful to do.

Together, he and Ardlac transformed what had been Ardlac's father's home into a home of their own. They sold much of the art that Ardlac wasn't fond of, and purchased new pieces, most with imagery that featured the sea and the whales that Ardlac still loved so dearly.

When his payment arrived from the courts of Mahlon, Li scarcely knew what to do with it. His life in Solaris was comfortable and Ardlac was paid well for his work at the palace. He kept a portion of it, but the majority he donated to the local temples, especially the one dedicated to Quelin, god of the sea, and none of them seemed bothered by the coins being from Mahlon. The money was not important to him, only that Catanere was punished for her crime.

Ash, through Ardlac, informed Li that she was, indeed, being justly punished. He had viewed her trial because he knew Li would want to know that justice had been done in the end, and knowing that she would spend the rest of her life cleaning for the court instead of managing Ash's estate gave him satisfaction. The only thing that had saved her from being sent to her death was the discovery that she was with child, though who the father was she claimed to have no idea. Ash supposed she had been intimate with many of the workers on the estate even before his death, something he had learned the truth of after he had died, but because she had never conceived previously she had simply assumed herself unable to. The child, Li learned, would be given to her sister to raise after its birth, so it did not spend its childhood being punished for its mother's crimes. Li hoped the sister would raise the child well. He considered sending some of his money to her, but he wasn't certain it would be appropriate.

He was simply thankful that Catanere was finally being punished for the murder of Ash, and that he had found himself a home with Ardlac.

"I love you," he told Ardlac every day, in both the Trade language and in Nair.

Regardless of what mood he might be in, the words always drew at least a small smile from Ardlac. "And I love you," he always replied in kind.

And Li was so wonderfully happy.