Ladies Cythera of Elden and Delia of Eldorne are both from canon. Originally, Cythera was Gary's wife and Thayet's social secretary. Muirne is my own creation and will play only a minor role: I needed someone else of the right age, and I stretched enough of the story to delay Cythera's debut for a year.

Chapter Two

Alanna might have been preparing for this day for the last six years of her life, but she still didn't feel ready to be introduced to all of the court at once. She had just ridden into Corus the day before, with Coram steering her carefully through the crowd and proudly introducing her to the many vendors that he knew by name. Maude had gone straight to the palace with all of Alanna's things, as long rides on horseback left her craving stillness and peace. Maude had somehow managed to have the entire small suite in perfect order when Alanna rushed in to change in time for an informal supper with a few of the court ladies she knew from the convent.

Coram must have introduced her to a quarter of the city that first afternoon, but he was very upset when the man with the bright hazel eyes had looked her over and introduced himself. Coram had bristled with disapproval, but Faithful had purred from his usual place on her shoulder. That had been the only cue Alanna needed to shake the strange man's hand. Coram grouched for an hour afterward, though Mr. Cooper hardly seemed different than most of the merchants in the small street that was barely a stone's throw from the palace's walls.

Coram had already brought her to the right hallway for her formal introduction to the capital's nobles and the king. He hadn't been able to stay, since he'd be watching from the ballroom itself, but he had already found permission for her to wait in a servant's alcove for the half hour before the formal introduction. That let her sit demurely, at least, because otherwise she would be pacing up and down the hall for everyone to notice. Maude was acting as her maid, but she'd stayed back in the rooms they were sharing. Maude hated fuss and formal occasions, and Alanna had promised that she would take no offense if Maude stayed in their suite. As soon as Alanna hired a proper maid, Maude would be riding back to Trebond to look after Lord Alan. Maude had told Alanna that some people weren't meant for cities, and Corus had done nothing to change her.

Faithful would stay in Corus with her, at least, even if there was no excuse to bring a cat to formal court functions. She would have felt much calmer with her cat perched on her shoulder, but the ember-stone would have to do. Maude had woven a choker around it with silver wire just a day after hearing how Alanna had come by the stone, and the wire was filled with small spells of mending-magic to be sure that the stone didn't slip out of place. She did feel a little calmer when she wrapped two fingers around the cool stone, even if that new calm came at a poor time.

The rest of the procession was arriving, finally. Alanna had been early so that Coram could escort her to the right place, and because Maude had begun to get leaky-eyed (which would make Alanna start tearing up, which would ruin their careful work on her makeup) when she fixed Alanna's long tangle of red curls up into an elegant knot with just a few escaping tendrils. By some luck, the unruly locks of hair looked more like an intentional style than a sign that Alanna couldn't control her own hair. The jet black dress didn't suit her coloring at all, but she wasn't about to break the full period of mourning just to look a little better at her debut. She had inherited her mother's black pearl eardrops, though, and they were tinted subtly with purple. With the ember-stone, her hair and her ear-drops were the only color that she was likely to wear for the next year. Maude had said that it was wonderful to have red hair, at a time like that, but Alanna was rather convinced that it only meant that so much black made it look as though she would glow in the dark.

She could hear the quiet talk of two other ladies to be introduced, Cythera of Elden and Muirne of Blackpool. By all rights, Cythera would have been introduced the year before, but her family was closely linked to the queen's. She had waited her full year of mourning Queen Lianne's death to be introduced at the court, and was widely expected to steal the heart of every young man there. Muirne was the favorite to take second place, unless the previous year's Delia of Eldorne settled for anyone that wasn't Duke Roger. Just one day of living in the palace had told Alanna more than she ever cared to know about Delia's one-sided pursuit of the duke.

Alanna squeezed the ember-stone one last time before standing carefully and adjusting the draping of her skirts and checking the neckline of her dress for any unraveling in the delicate lacework. Maude had done all of the lace in a beautiful fine silk thread that didn't chafe at all, and Alanna wouldn't have all of that work ruined by a careless snag against the wire choker she always wore. When she was satisfied that she looked every inch a lady to make Trebond proud, she stepped out of her little alcove.

More people had arrived while she waited. She couldn't see Cythera or Muirne, but she could hear the quiet conversation carry on even past the two large knights that had blocked her view of the other ladies. The lankier knight had dark brown hair and a bad-tempered scowl on his face, an expression she could only partially see when he turned to glare at his even larger companion. The bigger of the two knights seemed to be entirely made of muscle with black hair on top, and looked ready to burst right out of a plush green-and-yellow tunic. For all of his size, the black-haired man's expression was far gentler when he looked over at his friend.

Alanna had been ready to introduce herself, as she had always taken the forward role when the ladies at the convent met young men, but the brown-haired knight's scowl deepened in a way that made her think conversation with him would not be pleasant.

"I heard Whiner Thom's sister is to be introduced tonight," he grumbled. His voice was quiet, but the words carried perfectly well with Alanna just five feet behind him. "Near-identical twin, no less, as if there aren't enough cows at court."

Alanna's tendency for impudent retorts had earned her a record amount of punishment work at the convents, and it was only through those years of unpleasant labor that she confined her protest to biting her lip, hard. It didn't matter to her what some rude knight thought. She would refuse to dignify that remark with any kind of comment.

"Gary-" the big knight warned, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"Raoul," he returned viciously. The lanky knight might have been attractive, if smiling, but his sneer changed all of his features ugly. "Do you even remember what that brat was like as a page? Thom broke the Code, for someone as useless as Ralon, and my father always said that Thom's sire isn't of any use. I'd wager ten gold nobles from kissing Roxanne right back that the sister's the type to have the pages running themselves ragged to keep her fanned and pampered."

Alanna would leave a bruise in her lip, at this rate, but a lady didn't have any other options. She had promised her mother that she would be a lady of the court, and maybe she could even find someone likable once she was inside. Lady Cythera had always been kind when they were at the convent, together, even when Alanna had been the perpetual scapegrace. Cythera had even taught her how to mend tears in skirts in their first year, a feat that had been entirely beyond the sewing mistress.

"My lord of Naxen." Perhaps the gods had heard, because faint footsteps interrupted Gary before he could start again. Lady Cythera's voice was shaking, but it wasn't from fear or shyness. Alanna knew that Cythera would only move that far from protocol if she were truly angry,and Alanna felt a little braver even if Cythera didn't say a single word more.

"My lady," Gary said, bowing curtly. Alanna couldn't see Cythera past the two knights, but just imagining the likely scene let her relax enough to unclench her fists.

"I am Cythera of Elden," the wonderful lady said coldly. "You have done my friend a large disservice. Lady Alanna would have understood the loss of your father, as she buried her mother just last season."

Gary, evidently, was one of those men that didn't understand how to lose an argument gracefully. "You cannot possibly compare a backwoods noble to the training master for the entire country."

Alanna's magic hummed around her. Consequences or no, if that man said one more word about her mother, she was going to see how many traditions she could destroy at once. There were still provisions for a woman to challenge a man to a duel, if the insult to honor were great enough, but a stranger's voice interrupted the entire gathering before she could gather any words.

"Sir Gareth, you disgrace yourself." The speaker was male, and his words had a very firm precision as he strode out of the ballroom. "Sir Raoul, the next time he speaks such bile, you will please sit on him."

"I believe that you heard only the ending, Sir Myles," Lady Cythera said politely, turning her back to Gary. "He began with insults to Squire Thom, Lady Alanna, and their father Lord Alan."

Alanna's anger had left her all at once, leaving her crimson and embarrassed and just waiting for someone to realize that she'd left defending her family's honor to Cythera. The safe alcove was twelve steps behind her. All that prevented her from hiding until this was entirely forgotten was knowing that Coram was waiting in the ballroom, and that he'd worry if she didn't get her introduction just like the other ladies.

The new knight, when she finally caught a glimpse of him, was not what she expected. He was rather short, and well-rounded at the belly, but the kind eyes were promising. He had to reach very high to grasp the brown-haired knight by the shoulder, but Sir Myles wasn't shy about looking the taller man in the eye. "You and Raoul will report to me tomorrow after luncheon for a review of knightly etiquette and the code of chivalry, Gareth," Myles said quietly. "Expect to review the proper format of a letter of apology."

Alanna wished that her Gift would allow her to sink into the floor just a moment later. Myles had forced Gary and Raoul apart, and that left her clearly in view of Cythera, Muirne, Sir Myles, and both of the big knights. She kept her head up by pure stubbornness, even if she knew that her face was as red as her hair.

'Gareth' had the grace to blanch, and the black-haired knight looked horrified, but Sir Myles didn't say a word more to them. "Lady Alanna, I presume," the knight said kindly. "May I escort you tonight? I am afraid that no one of the correct age is available."

Alanna took several seconds to regain her composure, but no one said anything about the delay. "Thank you," she said, her voice almost normal. "Lady Cythera, I had no time to send you an invitation to tea today, but perhaps tomorrow will be acceptable? You would be welcome to join us, Lady Muirne."

Cythera recovered faster than Muirne, just as it had always been in school. "I would be delighted, Alanna. Sir Myles, I am sure that we could amuse Lady Alanna in the time that it takes you to find two other men that would like to escort a lady in."

Gary and Raoul had enough shame to vanish, and by the time Myles returned with a high-ranking mage and Duke Roger, Alanna was talking animatedly with Cythera and Muirne about the process of hiring a proper maid. By rights, Duke Roger would escort his squire's twin, but Sir Myles had taken Alanna's arm before she could think of a way to avoid Thom's knightmaster. Duke Roger showed no sign of disappointment, though, and took Cythera's arm readily. Muirne was quite pleased to be left with Harailt of Ali, one of the youngest men to ever earn his doctorate at a Tortallan university for the Gifted.

The introduction was nice enough, at least, and she could tell from across the room that Coram was proud of her. King Roald complimented her for taking after her mother in looks, and even said that the court could do with one of Lady Marinie's spirit. She kept her composure enough to say that her mother had always spoken kindly of Queen Lianne. No one present mentioned the late Prince Jonathan, in any way. Even years after the sweating sickness had taken him, no one in the court would say his name. Duke Roger was the only courtier to dare, but most folk thought that he'd earned the right. He had been in Carthak when the illness struck, and had begun the search for the culprit the instant he heard of the disease. He had been unsuccessful, perhaps, but merely the thought of discovery had been enough to stop the coward that had killed Tortall's prince from striking the queen. (Lianne had died of grief shortly after, but she had been happier knowing that Roger had come home to look after her husband.)

She liked sitting by Sir Myles. Alanna was still upset at the insults to her mother, even if the words about her brother had seemed all too accurate, but Myles didn't care that she said little. Even better, Cythera was just a few seats down, and after the first few courses she drew Alanna into the table's conversation about the differences between the convent's training and the reality of formal court dinners. All of it was light, of course, with barely any criticisms of instructors or court. No one ever seemed to speak about important things in such a public place, and the sisters had made sure that all of their ladies could speak for hours about nothing in particular.

She said as much to Sir Myles, when he was kind enough to walk her back to her room, and he laughed at her impertinence. "Goodness, my lady, you can't imagine that we do anything so obviously useful with our days or we might be mistaken for people that work for their living," he had told her. "If you would like... it does little for your social standing, perhaps, but I would be delighted if you would join a discussion of recent poetry tomorrow. That's a long-standing name for meetings that always devolve into speaking loudly about politics."

Alanna had agreed to that without reservation, not minding at all when Myles warned her that she would be the youngest attendee by far, and he had promised that any servant or page would be able to direct her to his office three hours or so before dinner.

Surely enough, the first page she found the next day was delighted to show her the way. Alanna had nothing in the way of pocket-money to afford the usual tip, but that wasn't at all a problem for any page finding Sir Myles' office. Myles immediately commended the boy about his most recent essay, and the page flushed with pride to see an entire roomful of nobles nodding approvingly. Myles sent him away with an orange and a very large smile before complimenting Alanna on her choice.

"Anders of Mindelan is a fine young lad, a credit to his parents," Duke Baird agreed. "Is this your newest protege, Myles?"

Alanna blushed as Myles showed her to an empty chair. She was the youngest present, as advertised, but Myles hadn't told her that the gathering would hold many of the most important people in the realm. Duke Baird was quite young to be the chief healer for all of Corus, but even the prince's death couldn't mar his reputation. "Hardly," Alanna demurred. "Sir Myles stepped in to mend a situation and invited me along at the end of the night."

She recognized Harailt from the night before, but this was a very informal group. Myles pointed out several people during breaks in the conversation, but there were no formal introductions. This meant there were no formal declarations of sympathy for her mother's death, so Alanna couldn't bring herself to care for the impropriety. She spent very little of the time talking, so she was very surprised to realize it was already time for supper. She hadn't even been that interested in the politics behind distributing funds, but it was very interesting to watch so many nobles working together. Myles was informally the training master for the pages and squires, even if the king had not yet appointed anyone to the post after Duke Gareth's death. Baird headed both palace infirmaries, for nobles and servants, as well as several charity-funded clinics within the city itself. Harailt spoke for the libraries and university, a dark-haired woman seemed to have the charge of every servant in the palace, and a young brown-haired man spoke for the stables.

It seemed that King Roald had been declining rapidly since the death of his wife, so this council of nobles and a few commoners was politely and quietly conducting all of the palace business. Alanna offered her opinion twice, and both times she blushed to have an entire room listening avidly and with every sign of approval. Trebond had frequently dealt with bandits, and her mother had created several ideas to make the attacks less frequent. She also knew a small amount of healing, and was pleased to accept Duke Baird's recommendation of several tutors. He wouldn't have time to take on an apprentice with no formal training, of course, but he did promise to show her several of his favorite treatments when she felt ready.

Alanna had no proof that the group was secret, but several things about it were exceedingly odd. The dark-haired woman left first, nodding to Myles on her way out, and was soon followed by the brown-haired man. A few of the quieter visitors left next, never in a group larger than two, and Harailt followed them. Baird was the last of the guests to leave, after insisting that Myles give a formal introduction to the lady.

Alanna waited until the door closed behind Duke Baird before turning to Myles. "I don't know why you've invited me to this, when you know nothing about me and it's obvious that this group is meant to be kept quite secret."

Myles smiled, but didn't deny anything. "On the contrary, a close friend of mine has said that you are quite trustworthy, and that I should meet you if it was in my power. I hope that you will not feel I manipulated circumstances."

"Not at all," Alanna said. "I meant to thank you, yesterday, but I was mostly focusing on keeping my mouth shut before I started reacting. It wasn't beyond enduring until he started in on my mother."

"It was no trouble, Lady Alanna, and—ah, here we are," Myles said, withdrawing a rumpled letter from a pile of books on his desk. "I cannot promise any quality of its contents, but Sir Gareth did indeed write you a letter of apology. There is also a letter from Sir Raoul. I hope you will forgive me if I defend them, but it is highly unusual for Gary to lash out at someone he had never met."

"It sounded as if he knew Thom well enough to be annoyed," Alanna said, skimming the letter. It was all very politely written, of course, but she had the strong feeling that they would not be friends any time soon. Gary's pride had been hurt by apologizing to a lady of such low social standing, and he couldn't have appreciated Sir Myles taking her side of things. Raoul's letter seemed far more sincere, and she really couldn't blame the big man. It had been obvious even from her perspective that Raoul was too mortified to think of containing his friend, especially when Raoul hadn't known that she was there.

Myles asked for her opinions of the letters and the men, as brutal as she would care to make them, and to her surprise he listened to the entire list of conclusions. "Extremely accurate, milady. I do hope that Gary will come around, in time. He was always impulsive and loud, but..."

"Lady Cythera mentioned his father's death," Alanna prompted.

"Gary won't be trusted near deserts for years, I'm afraid. Duke Gareth the Elder was on a peace mission to the Bazhir, and by all accounts it was going quite well. The Tribe of the Bloody Hawk is rather welcoming, as the tribes go, and Gareth sent a letter to me just two days before. The tribe as a whole was wonderful, understand, but its shaman saw the presence of Tortallan negotiators of some kind of threat." Myles' placid manner had vanished entirely. He bit off each word as if it was bitter to the taste, and his left hand had clenched into a fist. "The tribe's shaman drew a Gate of Idramm with none of the usual protections. Every last person was lost, from Duke Gareth down to the smallest of the children. I think the king put all that he had left in him after keeping the country from another war with the Bazhir."

Alanna didn't know what a Gate of Idramm was, but she understood the dangers of magic done without any precautions. Thom would know just what it was, of course, because he had always cared more for magic than for knighthood. She had already heard the rumor that Squire Thom had only consented to try for knighthood so that Duke Roger would take him on as a magical apprentice.

"It's terrible," Alanna said finally. "What do the Bazhir say of it?"

Myles' eyes gleamed, and he lost the anger entirely when he smiled at her. "Lady Alanna, I have never had reason to doubt this disreputable friend of mine. Only one in fifty would think to ask that question, and I do hope you will accept my permanent invitation to that little circle of friends. You are new at court, but in short order I believe your perspective will be immensely valuable."

She was still recovering from that much praise all at once when he continued. "To answer your question, the Bazhir response is quite varied. We are all fortunate in that the Voice of the Tribes has seen the truth in our accounting, that no Tortallan would have provoked the tragedy. Ali Mukhtab is a wise man, and he has kept the loudest of the warmongers from attacking just yet."

"Duke Gareth would have been in line for the throne," Alanna remembered, tracing the genealogies that the convent had held so important. "With the prince and queen gone, and the king so ill... I imagine that Duke Roger will take the throne?"

"He has already begun to gather supporters," the knight said mildly, a study in casualness as he searched for her reaction.

Alanna liked Myles and his frank way of speaking enough to take a risk. "I don't like Duke Roger. Perhaps it's rude of me, but he didn't leave the best of impressions when I met him." She might have chalked her initial dislike up to nerves, but she had been sure that very night. Faithful had hissed when Roger reached to tilt up the kitten's chin, and Faithful had proven to be an exceedingly good judge of character.

Myles smiled again, and looked as if he would have hugged her if they had been standing any closer. "You are a marvel, Lady Alanna. This office is quite well protected from listening when the door is closed, as you might have surmised, but I fear that we will have to retreat to the more polite subjects at dinner tonight. I believe that some old fool in charge of seating has placed you at my table, not thinking that you should be ranked far higher."

"Rank has a way of sorting itself out, Sir Myles," Alanna said, exhaling slowly. It would be hard to come down from so many stacked revelations into the frivolity of dinner conversation, but the convent had prepared her well. Myles was even kind enough to offer his arm.

She might damage her marriage prospects, being seen on the arm of a court drunkard old enough to be her father, but her mother had never wanted her to marry for status. Lady Marinie had said to marry for respect and affection, and the rest would all come out alright. Alanna was from a poor fief that had spent most of its money outfitting Thom properly, and the rest on her father's research. It would be very good for her pocketbook that she was in mourning, as she would not be expected to constantly buy new dresses. Hiring a maid would be difficult, when she had a handful of copper nobles until her father sent the year's allowance, but perhaps Myles might have some ideas.

Lady Cythera had said that afternoon that Sir Myles was charming, and had complimented Alanna for choosing an excellent mentor. Both Cythera and Muirne thought that Alanna would take after her father and Sir Myles, amusing herself by writing up research projects and mucking about the library. Research sounded like an excellent idea when the company was so interesting, and maybe at the next of Myles' meetings she would understand much more of what they were discussing.

She saw her brother from across the dining hall that night. They nodded to each other, and Alanna smiled, but Thom vanished immediately after supper.

Even with Sir Myles again walking her back to her room, and Maude fussing over her, it still hurt that her own brother was giving her the cold shoulder. She would have to find him the next day, or the day after that, because she had already lost her mother. Her father, when he did withdraw from his books, had showed a genuine affection for his wife and a rather distant approval for his children. She liked him, she supposed, but she had more affection for her teachers at the convent.

Thom was the only family she had left, and nobody would take him away from her.