As soon as Bria went through the doorway, she realised that the velvety blackness was in fact a heavy black woollen curtain. As she stumbled into it in surprise, the door shut behind her and the knight pulled the fabric out of the way, letting her see a well-lit room with tables and benches. Of course they had curtained the doorway. A sudden flood of light would tell the other candidates that someone had solved the riddle.

The knight held up his hand. ‘I am Sir Henrik. The jakes are down there’ he whispered pointing to much smaller doors at the far end of the refectory. ‘When you are ready, meet the Preceptor in the garden’ he pointed west to another door set between the mullioned windows that overlooked a courtyard garden. ‘I have other duties to attend but you have made a good beginning. I will see you at the evening meal.’ He nodded to her before strolling off on silent feet down towards the door in the eastern wall that the Farrenreeds had used earlier

A few minutes later Bria found herself nervously opening the garden door and stepping onto a flagstone path that led to a patio with a couple of tables and benches

The Preceptor looked up and smiled. ‘Come and sit. You have done well.’ As she nervously took a seat opposite him, he continued. You may speak now, Bria. In case you were wondering, no, we’re not telepathic, but we do have a very good idea of what is going on inside your head during the vigil and we value people with the wit to reassess situations when they’re under pressure. We can’t easily simulate a dragon attack or a war, but we can test you to see whether you can think. You are nervous and understandably so. It may make you feel a little more comfortable to know that I am also nervous. Taking on responsibility for eleven young people is hard enough. Vann is heir and you are second in line so there is extra pressure to keep you safe. I am also sensitive to magic. No doubt if I studied, I could learn to wield it more than the smattering I already have. This morning something broke. A spell I mean. This whole kingdom is, or was, stagnating. That stagnation was centred on the capital. If you were to go to Farrenreed, you would hear new music brought in by traders. Here, no-one ever looks for new music. If anyone sang a new song, it would be ignored and forgotten. Yesterday I would have gone through the formulas of the petition and never dreamed of asking for women to join. Today something broke, or at least started to unravel and I felt as though subtle pressure was lifted off me. I think the time will catch up with the city now and probably quite quickly. I tell you this because with change comes risk and I believe that you and Vann are most at risk. I will tell him this too, but perhaps don’t speak of it to others. Do you have any questions for me’

Bria swallowed nervously but couldn’t speak.

The Preceptor nodded and smiled again. You probably have many but you can’t quite call them to mind or find the words right now. No matter. You will find your feet soon enough. I will give everyone an outline of the next few days after we have eaten’

Footsteps sounded and both of them looked around. Camryn walked down the path towards her and plumped down onto the bench

‘Bah. I so wanted to be first!’ she laughed. Then she looked at the Preceptor and her mouth turned into a silent O of horror. The Preceptor frowned ‘It is permitted to speak in the garden, but you were told to be silent. Perhaps you should treat this as a lesson. Now you may speak child.’

‘I’m so sorry sir. I heard voices and I thought it was alright. Will I fail? Will everyone fail?’

‘No child, no-one will fail yet. We value intelligence but the impetuous have no place here and will be weeded out. Now, the pair of you can start to layout an evening meal for all of us. The weather is beautiful so we will eat out here. Before you go though, Sir Henrik!’

Sir Henrik had stepped through the door and held out two plain grey tunics. ‘Change into these. We don’t need to ruin your finery’

Over the next two hours, Vann, Nia, Adelyn and the other two young noblemen, Davorin and Hrafn, arrived in the refectory, were given grey tunics and put to work with the other two girls, quietly moving tables and benches out into the garden before being sent down to the palace kitchens to retrieve trays of bread, vegetables and cold meat. The trays were set out down the length of the tables and covered with cloth to keep the flies away. When Jemryn arrived, he was set to retrieving jugs of ale from the palace cellars and spacing them out down the table.

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By the time the sun had set, the tables had been set and three of the guardsmen had joined them.

‘Must be the drill, Preceptor’ said Sir Henrik. ‘They’ve already spent a lot of time standing at post.’

The Preceptor nodded. ‘Let's not stand on ceremony tonight. Fill your plates and introduce yourselves to those around you whilst you eat.’

The knights helped themselves to food and filled leather jacks with ale, but the candidates sat still in huddles. The girls together, the three noble lads and the three very self-conscious guards as far from everyone else as they could get.

Sir Henrik sighed looking at the clusters. ‘This won’t do. We’re going to be a close-knit team and that starts now. Sir Leif, move down to the end and separate the guards. Sir Bern, move up a space. Bria, go and sit between Sir Bern and Sir Anders and tell them your life story. Be prepared to snooze when Anders tells you his. Davorin, go and sit opposite Sir Leif. Vann, sit between the Preceptor and me.’

Vann moved down next to Sir Henrik and began to fill his plate and then stopped. ‘Sir Henrik. Do we need to take food to the Lore Master, or will he be joining us?’

‘No, lad. The Lore Master doesn’t eat that I know of and we must keep our food away from him. It’s an ancient curse. You will learn more when you study our lore.’ Vann looked puzzled. ‘How does he survive if he doesn’t eat?’

Sir Henrik smiled. ‘The Lore Master is a puzzle to us all beyond any reasoning. Things we expect him to know, he doesn’t, or says he doesn’t but sometimes he astonishes us with his knowledge of court gossip and current events.’

Vann looked down the table and saw that the other candidates were sitting amongst the knights and either eating, talking or listening. The guardsmen were looking uncomfortable but the nobles, better versed in the art of small talk, seemed more relaxed. Sir Henrik saw Vann’s glance towards the guardsmen. ‘Best not to push too hard lad. You’ve all been uprooted. Acknowledge the problem but work at it in little pieces. Just make them feel welcome. It’s not something you can fix in one evening meal but well observed.’

When the Preceptor had cleared his plate, he leant back from the table and stretched. ‘Doesn’t Lars hold the record for the longest recorded vigil?’

Sir Bern put down his jack and wiped his mouth ‘He does, but it will be tough to beat. He passed with a quarter of the clock before midnight. It’s not a record he’ll regret being beaten.’

A few minutes later the palace bells sounded eight times and not long after, a single set of footsteps were heard on the path as Sir Lars joined them.

‘Still the record holder then Lars?’ called out Sir Anders as the knight joined them. ‘Where’s the last candidate?’ asked Vann. Sir Lars raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. ‘Jakes, but he passed. He’ll be here.’ A couple of minutes passed before more footsteps were heard and the last guardsman appeared. Sir Lars waved him to an empty space before sitting down and filling his jack.

The Preceptor stood. ‘Now that we’re all here I will say a few words. You, all of you, will be given tasks. Candidates, you must learn our lore and how to fight. You must also learn the law of the isles. Once your mentors believe you’re ready, you’ll be accompanying them when they go to dispense the king’s justice. Knights, you know your tasks, but training so many with so few of us will be hard. Please be patient. Jemryn here is our page. He will fetch and carry, take messages and so on. He can’t do it all so we will all have to take our turn on cleaning detail, whether that be sweeping the hall floor or carrying dishes to and from the palace kitchen. He looked at the last guardsman to arrive. Ragni is it?’ The guardsman nodded; his mouth still full. ‘You finish eating but don’t stuff yourself too fast. Lars, finish drinking and start eating. Jemryn, would you go to the guard’s quartermaster and ask for twelve bedrolls? Take this token. The rest of you clear around those two and get things back to where they belong.’

By the time Ragni and Sir Lars had cleared their plates, all the rest of the tables and benches were back in the refectory, the trays and jugs were on their way back to the kitchens and Jemryn had got back accompanied by four of the quartermaster’s staff carrying bedrolls.

The Preceptor cleared his throat ‘Sir Bern, Sir Anders, first watch. Sir Leif, Sir Bjarne, second watch. Sir Lars and I will take the last watch. Candidates, pick up a bedroll before you leave. Sir Henrik, do you take the men to the barracks and get them settled in. Ladies. Follow me.’