Ty used the ceiling to crawl back into her room, the girl balanced on her hip. If Jonathon caught her, she would defy him as she defied everyone else. There would be no special treatment for the king who had placed Kel on a probationary year.

As she climbed in through the window, she checked for alien objects. None there. Good. She crept quietly over to her closet and dragged out her spare cot. Placing the child on it, she inspected her for the last time.

Dark hair and skin identified her as someone not originally from Tortal in Ty's mind. She was small and thin, and looked quite abashed. Ty brought out her jar of cleaning oil and set about washing the child's wounds. As she dressed a particularly nasty cut on the girl's cheek, she woke.

"What...—oh no!" she gasped, and sat up in a flash. "I beg the pardon of your ladyship, I mean no offense!"

Ty raised an eyebrow and sat back. "What offense would that be…?" she began, then something more important slammed her in the face. The girl shivered and shook as Ty's face hardened. "How do you know I'm a girl?" she asked dangerously, her voice sounding murder.

"I beg your pardon, my ladyship, but I saw!" the child replied, looking close to tears. The side of the banister was open—I never meant anything, mi ladyship!—and I saw a quick glimpse of—."

"My legs," Ty growled. She scolded herself for leaving anyone the opportunity of seeing such a thing, much more because she was not supposed to be a girl, and now someone knew. 'Always kill the witness,' her father often said. She was not, however, about to slay an innocent child. I hope I have not yet stooped so low as to take a monster's advice!

"What is you name and office, child?" she asked at length. The child trembled.

"I am an orphan, milady. I thought perhaps someone here at the palace could—"

"Your office?" Ty interrupted coolly.

"I am a commoner, milady," she squeaked. Then she threw her hands down in front of Ty and touched her forehead to the cot. "Please do not punish me!"

Ty thought it over. What could she do? She had here a girl with the kind of information that could get both the girl and she in a very, very bad situation, if they were not in one already. Yet, it seemed a small good thing that someone knew. Now they did, if anything happened, the child might help. If she was an orphan…

"Child, I will give you a choice, once you give me your name," she declared. "But please stop the bowing. Your ribs will complain."

The child sat up straight in a flash. "Sabidrielle, your ladyship. Sabidrielle Mandorre."

Did parents always set people ridiculously long names? Ty thought fleetingly. The panther growled. Ty cringed. She was right. Business first.

"If I may, I would call you Sabi, because Sabidrielle is too long," Ty said, her voice gentler now. The child nodded. "Sabi, I have a bit of a problem here. You may know, but the King and the pages have no idea I am a girl. I really must keep it that way. And I am sorry to say that I am not allowed to keep small girls in my rooms, but I am allowed a maid. Thus, if you wish, you can stay on the pretense of being my maid and help me with a few, simple things. I can promise you food, a home, and the occasional hug, though gold I cannot provide. My parents have no idea where I am, you see. That , being there no further questions, is option one."

The child looked astounded at such a direct approach and an offer she had obviously never heard. She did seem to realize she would have to behave and not tell anyone. She thought for a bit, then nodded for Ty to continue.

"Option two you might like better, seeing as there is a lot less of me in it. If you wish it, I will send you with a letter to the house of a cousin of mine, one who has bought the bonds of many a servant when they were being mistreated, and offered them a home. If you wish for it, I will send you to her and tell her she must keep you safe. Knowing her, you would be dining with her children and laughing to her humor in no time. I give you the choice. Choose."

Sabi seemed to think it over, her face screwed up in concentration. She then nodded and wrapped thin arms around Ty, who froze in surprise.

"I stay," she said proudly. Ty patted the top of her head, gave her a squeeze, and let her go.

"Please no 'ladyship' stuff, okay?" she asked. "Boys training to be pages usually aren't treated so, or called 'milady' every five seconds."

Sabi nodded. "Could I beg the name of my lord?"

Ty shook her head, grinning slightly. "No ''milording' either. It's Ty. Just Ty."

"All right Ty," Sabi said agreeably. "May I go wash up?"

Ty smiled. "Just because you play the maid doesn't mean you work for me," she told the child, whose shoulders drooped as tears slung into her eyes. Ty, realizing what she thought, chuckled a bit. "Child, you do not work for me, though you play the maid. You will live here. Your rights and mine stand equal. You may do as you like, but if you are going to bring lads in here to share your bed, please abstain from doing it while I'm around. Now please, go wash up. You're staining the sheets."

Sabi, who had been shocked at the idea of sleeping with a boy, realized why Ty said this. If she kept virgin, the training master would know Ty wasn't raping her or sleeping with her, which was not allowed. The girl leapt to her feet and walked over to the basin, rinsed her cuts, allowed Ty to dress them, and got into bed.

Ty sighed. She was still due for a talk with Mael. She could do it tomorrow. As her sponsor, there were a few things they needed to set straight…