Hey all! Not dead! I've been taking a bit of a break while cross-posting this story to AO3. However, since I'm caught up now, I'm posting new chapters again!

Tortall and everything else you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce.

A Secret Revealed

In the weeks that followed, Kellie had learned a great deal of things. She now vaguely understood her mathematics assignments, and only needed Ulasu and Jarrod to explain the material to her most of the time, rather than every day. She'd found that one of her friends accompanied her nearly everywhere (the first few times one of the older pages accompanied her somewhere, she'd dismissed it as coincidence, but after the second time she found Rowan waiting for her outside the ladies' washroom, she'd confronted him, and he'd confessed) to keep the bullies from trying anything. And she'd learned that there were three boys that made up the main group of bullies.

Sydrian was the leader, the tall and broad boy who was sneaky enough with his attacks that the training master had only caught him at it a few times in his three years as a page. The dark-haired boy, who might have been handsome had it not been for the scowl that seemed permanently etched into his face, was called Avan of Korpita, and Kellie was certain he was still holding a grudge against her for the time he'd grabbed her braid and found the sharp spikes digging into his palm.

The other regular member of the gang was a rather gangly lad, with mousy brown hair and plain features. He tended to limit his own involvement to words, and was so utterly forgettable that Kellie had had to ask Rowan to find out that the boy's name was Terrell haMinch, a distant relative of the previous training master.

A few others joined in on occasion—Hayden, along with two fourth-years whose names Kellie hadn't learned yet—but Sydrian and Avan were the ringleaders, with Terrell following behind. She'd been pinched and tripped by the gang nearly every day, in classes—since older pages were accompanying her, the bullies had so far contented themselves with petty actions—and Ulasu and Farouk grimly reported the same treatment. Kellie plotted for a way to stop them, but Rowan put an end to that.

"There are always going to be bullies, Kellie," he told her, not unkindly. "I don't like it, but it's a fact of life. There will always be those with power, who are always going to lord it over those without."

"You can't protect me forever," Kellie retorted.

"I don't plan to," Rowan replied. "Only until you've learned enough to protect yourself if they try anything. That's what knights do, protect those weaker than them. But knights can't be everywhere. So they teach others how to fight—maybe not as proficiently, but it's enough for them to defend themselves against bandits or raiders. That's what I'm doing with you." He grinned, losing the serious tone he'd been using. "Of course, you'll be doing the same thing once you've earned your shield."

That conversation gave Kellie plenty to think about on the topic of chivalry. Sir Myles brought up the Code of Chivalry in class at least once a week, but that was all vague, abstract theories. Rowan's little speech had given her something solid to consider. In a way, he reminded her of Aunt Kel. The utter determination to defend those who couldn't defend themselves, no matter what the cost, was what had earned her godsmother the nickname of Protector of the Small, despite how much Kellie had heard the lady knight complain about the title.

Kellie had been at the palace for two months when Sir Merric summoned her to his office. She approached the door with trepidation, wondering if this was the end and she was about to be dismissed. I'm still bottom of the first-years in unarmed combat, she thought gloomily. The Eagle had scolded her quite thoroughly yesterday, after she'd been pummeled by one of the older boys.

She knocked, and was greeted by a loud "Come in!" Slipping through the door, she bowed to the training master and stood with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Page Kelanna," Sir Merric began slowly, "I am sending a report of your progress to your parents." Though Kellie tried her best to hide it, he must have seen the alarm on her face. "I assure you that you are performing to my satisfaction. I merely called you here to inform you, and to tell you that if you have any letters bound for your family, to bring them to me before this evening and I will include them."

Kellie felt her heart lighten a bit. So she wasn't being dismissed? And she was meeting the training master's standards? She murmured her thanks and left the office, heading for her rooms. She did indeed have letters for home, one for her parents and one for her sisters.

Once back in her rooms, she looked over both letters. The first read, in neat lettering, Dear Papa and Mama,

My training is going well. I am one of six girls here at the palace, and we all work together to support each other. Being a girl page is a unique experience, they say, and so we must band together.

Kellie pondered that statement. It hadn't taken her long to notice that while the "earning your way" custom for new pages still existed, the older girls never asked such things of the first year girls. It seemed to be an unspoken rule of some kind, that things were hard enough for the girl pages as it was, and although nothing could be done about the boys participating in the custom, the girls seemed to have agreed not to do so.

I am doing well in most of my academic classes. I am still struggling with mathematics, but I am getting better. Master Irial is teaching me new things about magic. I can light up a crystal now, and my mage lights are getter stronger and lasting a bit longer. My sponsor, Rowan of Nond, says that after Midwinter I will start immortals study, and next year I will receive more magical training that is suited to my abilities. Does that mean I'll get placed with a healer? If it does, I think I will probably be working in the healers' wing with Grandfather.

Duke Baird of Queenscove, the realm's Chief Healer, worked in the palace. Kellie had visited him in one of her few free moments her first week, but she had had little time to spend there, and she hadn't been able to see him again since.

In the morning, the pages are outside on the practice courts. I am not very good at Shang combat, but I am very grateful for the work Papa had me do with Morris over the summer. I am getting better in archery too, but there is a girl here, Mae of Carmine Tower, who is the best archer among the pages. I have a long way to go before I am as good as she is.

Papa, Sir Merric told us there were no other girls in my year, but there is one! Her name is Ulasu of Pirate's Swoop, and she is extremely clever. It is largely because of her help that I am doing better in mathematics now, along with two of the other pages. She was born in the Copper Isles and lived there most of her life—she speaks Kyprish and is teaching me in exchange for learning Yamani. We have become good friends.

Please tell Aunt Kel that I have not seen any sparrows in the courtyard yet. I think they might have found a new place to nest. The only bird that seems to live there now is a rather foul-tempered crow that I see every morning.

Her name was signed at the bottom. Satisfied that she had nothing left to add, Kellie turned to the second letter, which was addressed, Dear Hanako and Nana,

I hope the two of you are behaving for Papa and Mama, and for Mistress Selwyn. You can complain about your schoolwork, but mine is much harder now than it ever was at home. I don't think either of you would like being a page very much. Smiling at that line—Kellie's younger sisters had both inherited their father's outspokenness, and would drown in punishment work for impertinence if they ever attempted page training—she continued reading over the letter

The palace is a huge, twisting mess of staircases and corridors. I would have gotten lost several dozen times over by now if it wasn't for my sponsor, Rowan of Nond. He has a fine sense of humor, and can juggle five objects at once without dropping any of them. Sometimes I think he missed his calling as a Player.

She knew her sisters would appreciate that bit. The mage that had taught Kellie her eavesdropping spell had been part of a troupe of Players that had visited Queenscove last year. Hanako and Nana had been fascinated by the performers, and had talked of little else for weeks afterward.

I have been assigned a horse from the royal stables to ride. His name is Blaze. I have enclosed a drawing I made of him. Nana, I hope you are taking good care of Sunset while I'm at the palace. He especially likes to be brushed after being ridden.

Love, your sister, Kelanna

Kellie folded up both of the letters, and picked up the sketch of Blaze to fold into the second. Her drawing skills were fairly rudimentary, but it was a decent likeness. At any rate, Blaze was black and white so drawing him in charcoal captured his coloring adequately.

No sooner had she finished setting down the folded letters and the sketch, than a loud banging sounded at her door. "Kellie!" came Ulasu's voice through the wood. "Come on, I want to have enough time at the baths for a real soak!"

In the several weeks since beginning her training, the other pages had picked up the use of her nickname with ease, and Kellie had learned one thing about her friend Ulasu with startling clarity: the Kyprin girl was not shy in the slightest. "Coming!" she called toward the door. Gathering up her bathing items, she headed for the door. She could take the letters down to Sir Merric's office later that evening.

Ulasu's hand was raised to knock again when Kellie opened her door and stepped out into the corridor. They set off toward the baths.

Kellie had been looking forward to having a proper soak all week. Her hair needed washing too. "Ahh…" she let out a sigh of comfort as she slipped into the steaming water.

Without morning training to strain her muscles, Kellie was far less stiff than usual. She was able to scrub herself in good time, before dunking under the water to do her hair.

Ulasu finished sooner than Kellie did, having far less hair to wash, and was dressed and impatiently tapping her foot when Kellie finally emerged from the pool.

"Oh, are you still here?" came a voice from the entryway. Kellie looked over to find Mae and Erynne, the former with her hair down and the latter holding a book. Squinting at the cover, Kellie was able to make out the words The Carthaki Conquest. There were smaller words underneath, but most of them were covered by Erynne's hand. The older girl's fascination with the history of other kingdoms was bemusing; Kellie had a hard enough time keeping the history of Tortall straight in her mind.

"We were just leaving," Ulasu replied to Mae's question, "as soon as somebody finishes combing her hair."

"I have more hair than you do," Kellie grumbled, fighting with a snarl. "It takes longer to comb out after I wash it than yours does."

"It would be easier if you got it cut short," Erynne remarked, looking over Kellie's hair interestedly.

"Kyrria, my maid, would cut it for you if you asked," Ulasu offered. "She does mine whenever it needs cutting, and she does a much better job than I would do."

Mae shrugged languidly, slipping out of her clothes and plunging into the pool. She surfaced, commenting, "I've never had any trouble with mine. You wear spikes in it, right? So nobody will grab it?"

"Yes," Kellie answered shortly, finally getting the tangle of hair to cooperate. Having all these people criticizing her hair was irritating.

She and Ulasu left the baths, leaving Mae and Erynne to their soaking, and headed back up to the palace. They were passing the dining hall when a voice called, "Pardon me, but could I speak to the two of you for a moment?"

Kellie glanced toward the voice—and stared. She caught herself gaping after a moment and was able to look away, but it was difficult. The speaker was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her mahogany hair was pinned into the simple tumble of curls worn by so many noblewomen, and Kellie was certain her dress was the very latest fashion.

She remembered to bow after another moment, and the lady's name came to her. This was Lady Zenoby haMinch, Tortall's Prime Minister. Her father was Duke Gareth of Naxen, whom everybody still referred to as "the Younger" even though it had been nearly ten years since the old Duke's passing. Duke Gareth had been Prime Minister, but had temporarily relinquished the title to his daughter upon assuming his responsibilities as Duke of Naxen, and Lady Zenoby had kept the position once King Jonathan discovered that she was very politically-minded and had convinced some of the more conservative nobles that she was fit for it.

Lady Zenoby smiled at them, her blue eyes appraising. "You wouldn't happen to have seen the King around, would you?

Kellie and Ulasu shook their heads simultaneously, and the lady considered for a moment. "I see. Well, if you do happen to run into him anywhere, please remind him that he is supposed to meet with me at the fourth bell today, in his office." Inclining her head, she added, "Thank you, then. That will be all. You may go."

With another bow, Kellie was able to move again. Ulasu was still staring after the lady. "Who was that?" she murmured.

"That's Lady Zenoby, the Prime Minister," Kellie whispered back. "I've met her before, but not since I was much younger."

"She's beautiful," Ulasu remarked.

"She is, but don't tell her that," Kellie answered. "I've heard she prefers being complimented on her intellect or diplomatic skills than her appearance."

Ulasu nodded approvingly, and the two giggled all the way back to the pages' hallway.

Upon reentering her rooms, Kellie inspected her letters once more to make sure she was ready to send them, and left again to take them to Sir Merric, hoping that he had yet to send out the report and that she wasn't too late.

Emerging from her room once more, Kellie jumped as Ulasu's door banged open. The girl herself was holding a handful of rather crumpled-looking sheets of paper, and stopped when she saw Kellie. "Are you bringing letters to Sir Merric too?"

Kellie nodded. "Let's go together."

Ulasu nodded, and they set off down the hall once more. "Only two letters?" the stocky girl inquired, nodding to the papers in Kellie's hand.

"One for my parents, and one for my sisters," Kellie answered. "You have more than that?"

Waving the letters in the air, Ulasu replied, "One for my parents, one for my brother and sister, and several for my godsmother and my family in Rajmuat. Some of these are Kyrria's, for her own family in the Isles."

"So Kyrria is from the Copper Isles too?" Kellie hadn't been certain. "Kyrria" wasn't a name common in Tortall, but enough people from other kingdoms lived and worked in Corus that she didn't have to be Tortallan. "She came with your family when you moved away from Rajmuat?"

Ulasu smiled faintly. "Kyrria's worked for my family nearly my entire life. She was one of our nursemaids when we were babies, and she insisted on coming to Tortall with us."

Only a few minutes later, they stood outside of the training master's office. Kellie reached out to knock on the closed door, then hesitated. She could hear muffled voices from inside, although she couldn't make out any actual words.

"Should we wait out here?" Ulasu murmured, staring at the door.

Kellie thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No, we don't know how long he'll be in there. We can come back—"

She'd been about to say, We can come back closer to suppertime, but was cut off by the door opening and a tall man exiting the office and beginning to stride down the hall purposefully. For the second time that day, Kellie had to stop herself from staring. She had never seen this man so close before… "Your Majesty, wait!" she called, thrusting her letters down the front of her tunic before running after him.

The man stopped and turned around, his gaze landing on the girl before him. "Yes? What can I do for you, lass?"

Kellie bowed to the man, taking the opportunity to peer up at him through her eyelashes. She had seen him before, but always at a distance. Up close, she could see that his face was lined, and his black hair was liberally intermixed with gray. He looked… tired. Still, he offered her a smile, even as he looked at her expectantly.

"Your Majesty…" Kellie began, suddenly nervous, "Lady Zenoby asked us—" She indicated Ulasu, who was hovering behind her. "—if we saw you, to inform you that she is looking for you."

The king regarded her seriously. "Already? I thought that wasn't until much later. What time is it?"

"Nearly the fourth bell," Ulasu answered, in a much more subdued tone than usual.

"That late?" The king shook his head in bemusement. "My, that meeting went much longer than I expected it would." He tossed each of them a silver noble; Kellie caught hers, startled. "And whom do I have to thank for informing me of this?"

Kellie looked back up at the king. He was still smiling. She hurriedly sank into another bow, murmuring, "Kelanna of Queenscove, Your Majesty."

"Thank you very much, Page Kelanna." King Jonathan turned his attention to Ulasu. "And you? What is your name…" He hesitated, studying her face for a moment. "…young lady?"

Kellie tried to hide her surprise. She couldn't pass for a boy very well, not with her hair as long as it was and especially not with it loose like she was wearing it now, but Ulasu was much less distinctive. Dressed in tunic and breeches, she didn't stand out as a girl, and it was impressive that the king had correctly identified her as such.

Ulasu was still standing hesitantly behind Kellie, seeming reluctant to draw the man's attention. She bowed automatically, then lifted her head and met King Jonathan's sapphire gaze for a long moment. In a clear but uncharacteristically low voice, she replied, "Ulasu Burunggagak of Pirate's Swoop, Your Majesty."

The king's eyebrows nearly lifted off his forehead, but that was the only indication that he was surprised by the answer. He stared at Ulasu for a moment. Kellie shifted from foot to foot, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, even though she couldn't say why she felt that way.

"Pirate's Swoop, you say." King Jonathan regarded Ulasu with an expression that looked deliberately neutral. "I must ask, who approved your training? For you are certainly the right age, but I do not recall being informed of any Pirate's Swoops attending page training this year."

He may have phrased his query as a request, but it was clear he expected an answer. Ulasu bowed again, and replied, "Crown Prince Roald approved my training, sire, as did Sir Merric our training master." Her voice was still unusually soft, but there was the barest hint of defiance in her tone that made Kellie scrutinize her friend. Ulasu was hiding something, she was almost sure of it.

"Ah. My godsdaughter is up to her tricks again, I see." The king nodded, diffusing the tension in the air. Kellie suddenly found she could breathe again; she hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. "Tell me, are you anything like your mother? Do you serve the same god that she does?"

Kellie wondered which god he meant.

Ulasu shuffled a bit. "The god has given no sign that they wish me to enter their service." Shaking her head, she added, "And truthfully, sire, I don't think they will. I am not very much like my mother—I… I just like to hit things."

King Jonathan smiled again at her answer. "More like your grandmother, then. She never did see the point in dancing around things when she could beat them with a sword. Are you afraid I am going to dismiss you from page training? Never fear, young one, I have no intention of doing so. The way you entered training was perfectly legal." He gave her a sardonic glance. "If a bit underhanded, but I have come to expect nothing less from Lady Alianne. Did she escort you to Corus in September?"

Ulasu shook her head again. "No, sire, my grandfather did. He said he had business with you anyway, and bringing me along would be no trouble."

"Well." King Jonathan considered her again. Kellie tried not to flinch when his gaze fell on her. "I'm pleased to have met you, but I think I've taken up enough of your Sunday. Run along, both of you. Finish whatever work you may have, and enjoy what you can of the day." He nodded to them once more before striding off.

Kellie stared after him, wondering about the exchange she'd just witnessed between the king and her friend. A glance at Ulasu did nothing to reassure her. The other girl was frowning, biting her lip, and tensing her shoulders as though expecting something unpleasant.

"What was that about?" Kellie asked.

"Nothing." Ulasu's voice sounded strained, and she wouldn't meet Kellie's eyes.

"I don't believe that for a minute." Kellie had never seen her friend look so uncomfortable as she did now. "Clearly something he said upset you."

"It's nothing," Ulasu repeated, a bit more fiercely this time. "Let's just bring our letters to Sir Merric and go, all right?" Without waiting for a response, Ulasu hurried off toward the training master's office, leaving Kellie to stare at her friend's retreating back in bemusement. She was now certain that Ulasu was hiding something; the other girl was doing a very bad job at evading the questions.

It was only at the office door that Kellie managed to catch up with Ulasu. The large wooden door was open, and Ulasu was speaking to Sir Merric. The redheaded man nodded in response to something Kellie hadn't heard. "Very well, I will dispatch your letters as soon as I am able. It may take some time to find a ship bound for Rajmuat, however."

Ulasu bowed. "Thank you, Sir Merric." She stepped back a bit, allowing Kellie to approach. Sir Merric turned his gaze on her.

"Yes, Page, Kelanna?"

Kellie bowed to him. "I also have letters to send out, Sir Merric, both bound for Queenscove."

"Ah, thank you. I will take those." Sir Merric held out his hand for the letters. It was only then that Kellie remembered what she had done with them. Fighting down a blush, she reached inside the front of her tunic and withdrew the papers. To his credit, the training master didn't bat an eye at her unusual method of carrying them, merely asking, "This is everything?"

"Yes, Sir Merric."

He placed both of the letters on his desk, next to the ones Ulasu had brought. Her own correspondence looked rather pitiful in comparison to the large stack of parchment her friend had written.

"Is that all?" the training master inquired of them. When both nodded, he nodded back. "Then you are dismissed." He made as if to go to his desk, then turned back to them. "Are you planning to attend tonight's tactics and strategy lesson?"

"Yes, Sir Merric," Ulasu answered. Kellie's own affirmative reply was only a moment behind her friend's. She liked the Sunday evening lectures on tactics and strategy, and had yet to miss one, even though these lessons were only required for fourth year pages.

"Good. I will see you there." This time Sir Merric really did cross over to his desk, though he didn't sit down. The two girls bowed to him, and left, both heading back to their rooms.

Kellie watched her friend out of the corner of her eye the entire way back to the pages' wing. Something was still off about Ulasu, and Kellie was determined to find out what it was. She waited, lingering outside her own door until Ulasu had entered her room and closed the door, before hurrying over and pounding on the wood in much the same manner as Ulasu had done to her before their trip to the baths earlier.

"Go away!" Ulasu called from inside.

"No!" Kellie shouted back, banging on the door again, and flinched back in surprise when it flew open. She was greeted by an angry scowl, such a departure from Ulasu's usual mischievous good humor, that she could only stare.

"You might as well come in," Ulasu grudgingly mumbled after the staring contest had lasted a bit. She closed the door firmly behind her. Kellie, sensing that whatever it was that had her friend so agitated was not something she wanted the entire hallway to know about, flicked her fingers toward the doors and window. Balls of emerald fire flew from her hands, morphing into shimmering sheets that covered the exits.

Ulasu watched. "Is that… a spell against eavesdroppers?"

"Yes," Kellie answered shortly, crossing her arms over her chest. She'd been experimenting with her eavesdropping spell, tweaking it so it could prevent anyone from listening in on them instead. "Nobody but me will hear what you say in this room, until I lift the spell, and I swear by the gods that I will tell no one what you say to me. Now tell me, what did the king say to make you act so strange?"

For a long moment she thought Ulasu was going to dig in her heels and refuse to say a word, but the other girl finally let out a long sigh and collapsed onto her bed. "The king asked if my ma had escorted me to Corus, knowing she isn't allowed to enter the city."

"What?" Kellie blinked in surprise. Whatever she'd been expecting, it wasn't that. "Your ma is banished from Corus? Why?" From what she knew, the Pirate's Swoop family were very close to the Contés. Alanna the Lioness had been King Jonathan's squire, and had served the Crown as King's Champion for more than twenty years. Princess Lianne had been permitted to marry Alan of Pirate's Swoop rather than a foreign prince. Sir Alan's twin being banished from Corus made no sense whatsoever.

Rather than answer directly, Ulasu looked up at the ceiling. "Kellie… what do you know about my mother's time in the Copper Isles?"

"I…" Kellie hesitated. She really only knew bits and pieces. "She was captured by pirates and sold as a slave, but was freed when she revealed her true identity to her owners, Queen Dovasary Balitang's family. And she married a raka nobleman after they freed her."

"Well, yes, partially," Ulasu allowed. "Ma wasn't freed right away, and even after she was, it was still several months before she told anybody of her identity. She was involved in the rebellion to put one of the Balitang daughters on the throne, restoring the Kyprin queens." Ulasu took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "And when I say she was involved, I don't mean she was part of a fringe movement. The truth is… Ma was the rebellion's spymaster, and she became spymaster for all of the Isles after Queen Dovasary was crowned."

"Oh," was all Kellie could say. Spymaster? That was an important position in any kingdom, though the spymaster's identity was usually secret. And Queen Dovasary had allowed a foreigner to hold it?

Ulasu looked back up. "The reason we moved to Tortall last year… well, some of the raka nobles were making a fuss about a luarin foreigner holding such a position. I don't think we had to leave the Isles, necessarily, but that was the decision Ma and Da made. I only found out later, the condition the king had set for Ma to be allowed back into Tortall at all. She had to swear in blood to never reveal state secrets from either kingdom, and she's not allowed to set foot in Corus without the king's express permission. I think there was talk of removing her from the line of succession too, but either the talk wasn't serious, or Grandmama got a lot of powerful people to 'persuade' the king it was a bad idea." Ulasu's lips quirked up, the first trace of her usual good humor Kellie had seen since running into the king earlier, before she sobered again. "Ma is related to a lot of the most powerful nobles in Tortall, those most loyal to the Crown, and there are people who would still call her a traitor."

Kellie was still trying to absorb the information. "You… your mother was… a spy?"

Ulasu shrugged in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "Every kingdom has spies. But once Ma served a rival kingdom's spy network, Tortall didn't want her back. No matter that she never once worked against the interests of Tortall. That's part why I want to be a knight. I'm only ten, but I've had enough of politics to last me a lifetime. Hitting things is much simpler."

Kellie allowed herself a small smile, but she didn't know what to say. She gingerly settled herself on the edge of Ulasu's bed, as though her friend was a wild animal that might bolt if she moved too quickly. They sat in silence for a few moments, then… "When my youngest sister, Nana, was born… I hated her."

Ulasu looked up sharply. "You hated your sister? Why? Didn't you already have one sister?"

Swallowing hard, Kellie steeled herself. She had never told anybody this before. "Because I thought she was going to kill my mother. I guess Mama had easy enough pregnancies with me, and with Hanako, but her third pregnancy was awful. I was there when the healer told her that having another child might kill her—I don't think the healer knew I was there, otherwise she probably wouldn't have said it. But that's neither here nor there. I didn't know the healer was talking about pregnancy and childbirth, so when I heard her say that, I became so frightened I might lose my mama, and I took it out on my new sister." She fell silent.

"That's why you're the heir, then." Ulasu nodded emphatically. "I wondered about that, when your parents are young enough to have a son if they wanted."

"You… you believe me?" Part of the reason Kellie hadn't ever told anybody of her feelings toward Nana had been out of a fear that they would think she was making it up.

Ulasu only shrugged. "You're telling the truth; why shouldn't I believe you?"

Kellie studied her friend's face. Ulasu's words were fine, but… something about the way she'd phrased that struck her as odd. "How would you know what's the truth and what's a lie?"

Ulasu leaned her head back against the wall and sighed. "I have the Sight," she explained. "It's not good for much, but I always know when somebody's lying, and you weren't. I can see other things too—remember how I knew Rowan was ill earlier this week?"

Kellie did remember. She'd been confused when Ulasu had told Rowan that he "looked ill" during breakfast a few days ago, though reaching out with her Gift had quickly confirmed the fact, and Rowan had been sent to the healers' wing. Pathom had subtly changed the subject, and Kellie hadn't thought any more about it. Now she regretted not asking any more questions at the time. "I hadn't realized. The Sight is so rare… I've never met anybody who has it before."

"I get it from Ma," Ulasu explained. Her lips quirked in a half smile. "At my birth, the midwife said I would be a seer, and I guess everybody assumed that meant I'd be able to see the future."

Like Irnai, Kellie thought. Aunt Kel's foster daughter served at a temple of Shakith, goddess of seers, in Corus, and Kellie had been meaning to visit her when she got the chance.

"Nobody even considered that 'seer' might mean I'd inherit the Sight," Ulasu went on. "Not until I was four and asked Ma why her assistant looked funny—not quietly, mind you. That's how our entire household found out that not only did I have the Sight, but that Atisa was expecting a baby. That was a very interesting day." She smiled wickedly at the memory, leaving Kellie to try and absorb everything Ulasu had just told her.

"What god does your ma serve?"

"Hm?" Ulasu looked up.

"The king mentioned something about the god your mother serves," Kellie reminded her friend. "Which god was he talking about?"

Ulasu gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Which god do you think?"

Kellie thought about it. Warfare was the domain of Great Mithros, but spying wasn't exactly warfare, was it? Spying was about secrets, working in the shadows, pulling the strings that nobody could see. That made Lady Alianne's most likely patron… "The Trickster."

Ulasu nodded once. "Yes. They are the patron god of the Isles, and patron of my mother and grandfather as well. And my brother Junim might be suited to their service. But I guess I'm too straightforward for them."

"Them?" Kellie questioned, curious. Did the Trickster have multiple aspects that she was unaware of? A particular god's worship could vary dramatically from country to country, so it wasn't impossible that Kyprians might consider their god to embody more than one face.

"There are some people who believe that the Trickster has no gender, or that their sex changes as they like. Many refer to the god as 'he' or 'she', but some use 'they' instead, since we don't know what sex they might be at the time and we don't want to offend them," Ulasu explained.

Kellie considered that. Gods were strange, that much she knew. The idea that a god, especially the Trickster who lived to cause havoc, might change their sex was no stranger than any other idea she'd heard about gods before. "I never thought about it before," she admitted. "But I suppose it makes sense, particularly for that god."

"Exactly," agreed Ulasu, looking a bit more cheerful now. "I think Gunapi the Sunrose—the Isles' goddess of molten rock and warfare—would be happy to have my service."

Molten rock and warfare? "Your Sunrose sounds an awful lot like Yama, the patron goddess of the Yamani Islands," Kellie mused. She sat in silence next to her friend. Somewhere above them, the fourth bell rang, but neither of them moved. It was several minutes before Kellie asked the other question on her mind. "Ulasu…"

The other girl looked over at her questioningly.

"When the king asked who you were, did you give yourself an extra name?"

"Wha—oh, Burunggagak, you mean?"

Kellie nodded; that was it.

Ulasu shrugged. "It's not an extra name, exactly. Burunggagak—'crow', in Kyprish—is my family's name in the Isles. My father was ennobled by Queen Dovasary for his services during the rebellion. Before that, he worked as a fletcher."

"Ah." Kellie hadn't realized that Lady Alianne's husband was such new nobility.

The silence stretched out, longer this time, but much less tense than before. The two girls sat like that until the fifth bell, when Kellie excused herself to go back to her room to do some staff practice, mulling over everything her friend had revealed to her.

A note about Ulasu's last name: I'm going with the assumption that when Nawat introduced himself to Aly as "Nawat Crow," he was speaking Kyprish, and so his name would still be in Kyprish even when speaking other languages. Given that Tammy has said she based Kyprish off the Malay language, I asked a friend on this site (thanks, IBurn!) what "crow" would be in Malay. Hence, Ulasu Burunggagak of Pirate's Swoop!

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