"It's all gonna be fine, honey."

Jonathan overheard Chloey's reassurance as he entered the kitchen. Gideon was there to escort him to watch. His face was somber, and he was more subdued than Jonathan had ever seen him.

"What's going on?"

"Nothin to worry about. Bailey is having Gideon's baby tonight and he's a touch worried. God brings babies into the world all the time and I told Gideon that." Chloey patted Gideon on the shoulder in a motherly way.

"Are you ready for watch?" Gideon asked.

"Yes, commander. We can head out whenever you say."

Gideon simply turned and walked out the door, clearly preoccupied. Jonathan fell in step with him. The walk to the tower was made in a companionable silence. The tower group was gathered even though watch didn't start for an hour. Jonathan turned to his commander.

"You need to go home to Bailey."

Gideon just stared at him.

"Because you are in The Guard you will miss so many things. I won't have you miss this. I know that men are not usually involved, but you should be there."

"We have watch." Gideon's answer was curt.

"As your prince, I am ordering you to go home. I will take command of watch."

Gideon flashed the biggest grin he could and was gone almost instantly. Jonathan was left staring at the door.

"That was a good call, at least until you have to explain to Laban." Daniel snickered.

Jonathan shrugged in answer and joined the group at the center table. Fifteen minutes before watch started Laban entered the tower. The first of the group to notice him called out "Captain's here." The men came to their feet and turned to acknowledge his presence. Jonathan stepped forward.

"I ordered Gideon home to witness the birth of his baby; I am in command of watch tonight. After watch we will be heading to his house where we will hold a prayer vigil until the child safely arrives." Outwardly Jonathan was calm and confident. Internally he was terrified.

"Very well. Get the men organized."

Watch commenced with nothing more exciting than Daniel tripping on the stairs on the way up to the tower top. As soon as watch ended the entire tower group headed to Gideon's house, which was in the housing sector of Castle City. They knelt in front of the house and commenced a silent prayer vigil. Jonathan was oblivious to the passage of time as he communed with the Lord. First, he prayed for Bailey and the baby, then for Gideon; for wisdom and strength as a father and husband. As time passed his prayer moved to include each of the men in his tower group.

The silence was broken when the midwife opened the door. Seeing the men gathered she went back in the house to notify Gideon. Gideon burst out of the door and loudly announced "It's a girl! I have a baby girl." All the men clamored to their feet slapping Gideon on the back, pulling him into a hug and making a ridiculous amount of noise.

"If you don't quiet down, I'm gonna call The Guard." The loud voice of a man from the next house broke into the jubilee. "Oh good grief, you are The Guard."

Laban came forward. "I apologize, we were celebrating the first baby born to our group. I will move my men along."

"Was it a boy or girl?" The man asked scratching the stubble on his chin.

"A girl."

"Bailey alright?"

"She is tired but good." Gideon answered.

The man nodded and headed back into his house. Laban didn't need to issue an order, one look to his men and they headed off to their separate quarters somewhat quieter than they had been moments before.

~~~~~

  It was almost four a.m. when Jonathan entered his quarters to find Logan pacing.

"What happened at watch tonight?" Logan demanded in a cold fury.

He was so tense and so clearly angry that Gavin stepped between him and Prince Jonathan. Jonathan calmly sat in a chair near the fireplace and started taking his boots off not interfering with his personal guard even though he knew there was no threat from Logan whatsoever.

"Nothing happened at watch. I am so late because Gideon's baby was born tonight. Why do you ask?"

Logan held his hands up in surrender to Gavin even though he was still agitated. Gavin allowed him to take a seat across from Jonathan.

"I was out trying to find who has been looking for information about you. There were two men arguing. One had the other cornered and said "He wasn't where you said he would be, in fact we didn't see him at all. The archer was all set up and now we missed our chance." The other man was kind of cowering like a whipped dog and he kept saying that his information was good and that someone else made a mistake. Then he said; "Are you sure you were at the right tower? The prince is always on third watch."

"I am being targeted then. I took command of watch so Gideon could be with Bailey."

"That means you moved from one station to another, which is why they didn't see you." Logan mumbled more to himself than to them. "There is more. Whoever is gathering information is using a young boy. This boy starts talking to guardsmen that are out drinking. He acts all eager like he want to be in The Guard, like he idolizes these guys. Then he starts asking questions. I've seen him for the last three nights. Just by listening in I have gotten enough information to know about two-thirds of the men on duty at any given time."

"No one is allowed to go out in uniform. How does he know which men are Guardsmen?"
"That's easy enough, watch the towers. There is enough coming and going in Castletown that it would be easy to go unnoticed, at least during the day."
"I tried to follow this kid to whoever he reports to. That is when I got sidetracked by those men talking." Logan sat for a moment hands clasped tight chewing his lip. Looking directly at Gavin he continued, "One more thing. There was an associate of my brother's who recognized me. He bought me a drink and asked a bunch of questions. Essentially, he wanted to know what side I was on. I led him to believe that I am here as a prisoner. I told him I was spared because of my youth and forced into servitude. He will probably be checking out my story. It is possible he will try to get me back into the circle."

"Why would you do that?" Gavin asked with a fierce glare.

"To get information on the enemy." Logan answered.

"It's late. We're all going to get some sleep. Tomorrow we will tell Jake." His tone was firm enough to put an end to all discussion.