"I correspond as often as I can, of course," he says, not wishing to seem an ungrateful son. "Although by the time they receive my letters I may well be near home once more."

He sips at his tea and nods. "Yes," he says. "The Corps training grounds are in Scotland, which is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. A kingdom which includes England and Wales," he adds, unsure of how much Temeraire may have said.