I barely slept and woke early.

Eight days to the ball.

Pulling myself out of bed, I found a pretty blue dress to wear. In my remaining eight days of freedom, at least I would live well.

In the little side kitchen, I found that the cook was absent. With the amount of bustle and noise about the festival, she was likely in the main kitchen, overseeing preparations. I took a snack and headed out.

My garden looked as pretty as any other day, but it felt flat. Sebastien was not there.

Leaving the quiet garden, I considered my options. The Redwood would have nothing new to say, and the Rosewood was unlikely to have any information at all. Few of the other trees in Saliz paid attention to us fallen leaves, so they would not be worth asking.

There was Padfoot’s, but the brick wall served as a strong reminder that I was not welcome there.

At the Woodcrafters Guild I was always welcome, expected, even. It was possible that Anna was free. As a contessa, she would know about the Families. It was early enough that Thorne, even if he was there, would not be conscious. I was willing to risk it.

By the time I convinced myself, I was already at the door.

“Avery!” Anna smiled. “How good of you to come. I was beginning to lose hope. Is Captain Winter with you? But of course, I can see that he is not. That is only to be expected. He is far too occupied to come himself.”

I was standing in the hall entrance at the sitting room door, too surprised to properly enter the room. Anna had been sitting, but she stood on my arrival and crossed the room as she spoke. “Are you well? Do you require any refreshment before we journey to the palace?”

“No?” I said, feeling that it would be unwise to accept. Despite her perfectly well-mannered behavior, the offer was unconvincing.

From a chair near the one she had so quickly vacated rose a magnificent silver woman.

Contessa Annalize introduced Master Jaqueline to me, and she greeted and dismissed me in the same breath. She far more concerned about her wayward pupil. “We will discuss this when you return.”

“Certainly, Master Jaqueline.” Anna pulled me with her into a curtsy, I believe unintentionally, and then gracefully led me outside with a death-grip on my arm.

She forgot that she had a carriage and walked right past it. I followed silently until we were halfway to the palace. Finally, my curiosity grew strong enough to ask, “Was that woman related to you?”

“Master Jaqueline is my maternal grandmother,” Anna stopped walking and readjusted her hold on my arm to a more socially expectable clasp without seeming to notice that she did.

“I have seen her work, it’s amazing! Woodcrafting must be strong in your family.”

“Yes. She is very Talented.”

We walked quietly a little while more before I asked, “Is something wrong?”

Avoiding that, she asked, “How did you know that we were related?”

“She resembled you,” I said automatically.

In what universe? Avery mentally presented me with a visual comparison of the two women. They were as opposite as could be: Anna was dark, but her grandmother had clearly been born fair, with light hair now turned silver, soft hazel eyes, and a rosy complexion. Moreover, she was shorter than me while her granddaughter was a head taller, almost as tall as the Captain.

“Did she?” Anna asked politely.

“Your mannerisms and refined air are very similar,” I pictured the older master woodworker. “I realized that she must be from one of the Families, the way she stood so nobly and spoke so elegantly.”

“I learned from her. My mother was always occupied with my brothers and her other responsibilities. Master Jaqueline raised me.”

“You have brothers? I did not know that. Are they older than you?”

“Yes, by several years.” Anna smiled, and her face became radiant. “They are quite troublesome, always causing scandals and frustrating Mother and Father enormously. They are declaring they will not inherit, and it is making the whole Family uneasy.” We had arrived at the palace gate, and she looked at it with an air of confusion. “What was it that brought you to the guild?”

“Nothing in particular,” I fought a sigh. I could hardly explain why I wanted to know about the Families. “I was unoccupied, and I wondered if you might have time.”

She smiled again. “How fortunate that you came when you did! I was just becoming bored myself.” She turned with her killer smile to greet the guard, making him as useless as the open gate. Turning back to me, she added secretively, “I have not seen Eliot in positively ages.” She smiled impishly, and I wondered again at their relationship.

“I rather expect he will be occupied with work,” I admitted, but she heeded me not and led the way to his office.

It was a day for unmet expectations. The Captain was calmly sipping tea when we entered, and he did not look the least bit surprised to see us together. “Good afternoon, Contessa Annalize. I thought I might see you one of these days. Miss Avery. I trust it has been a profitable day.”

The last comment was aimed at making me feel like I had forgotten some important detail or failed some basic task. “Yes, Captain. How was your day?”

“Oh, fine, fine. Contessa, I trust everyone in the Family is well.”

“Yes, quite well, thank you,” Anna pouted at his cool demeanor. “Do you have nothing else to say to me?” She asked hopefully.

He looked at her blankly before saying, “It may rain next phase. I should bring proper shoes to the ball.” I could not tell if he was serious.

Anna’s face barely flickered disappointment before she cheerfully moved on. “What will you wear to the ball? Perhaps we can match colors.”

It made such a small difference, and yet it was terribly strange to not see her Charm. It was like she had forgotten to powder her nose, and at certain angles it showed.

The Captain was unmovable as ever, and I tried to be unobtrusive. I found a book on rivers in Niare and attempted to be fascinated.

“Miss Avery.”

“Yes, Captain?” I tucked the book under my arm as if I intended to read it.

“Please be so kind as to show the Contessa to the kitchens. She has not eaten, and I imagine you have not either.” For a moment his expression brought to mind a certain fiery cook, almost as though he was remembering a recent visit.

“You are too thoughtful, Eliot! Will you not join us? I very much doubt you have enjoyed a proper meal today, yourself.” Anna tugged on his arm with such a pretty expression that I really thought he must relent.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Calmly disengaging himself, he declared that he had already dined, which was highly unlikely, and that he had far too much to do, which was always true.

Giving up for the moment, Anna followed me to the kitchen. It was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but the cook was back in her domain and always prepared to feed a body.

“Contessa!” Cook bustled her into a chair and whipped a proper meal from various nooks, producing soups and breads and fancy cheeses. Once the Contessa was settled, she turned to look at me. “Are my eyes going? You don’t look hungry.” She seemed almost offended, but also delightfully surprised. “Has he turned human and fed you?”

“I ate out,” I lied, making her both disappointed and pleased. “Has he eaten today?”

She settled on disappointed. “Not that I have seen. I’ll fix him something.” She turned back to her workspace and rummaged about. “Are you certain you don’t want anything?” she asked, between clanging dishes and chopping vegetables.

I hesitated, and Anna said, “I am really not hungry enough for all this, will you share it with me?” She smiled at the cook, “I wish that I were! It tastes amazing. I do not suppose you would change kitchens?”

The cook paused to blush and be flattered.

“Thank you,” I also told her, earning myself an offhanded spoon-wave. But I couldn’t eat.

The Contessa did not know how to eat but delicately, and Mirelle, the seamstress, came in to ask a favor and stayed to chat, so it was some time before we took the cook’s prepared tray up to the Captain.

Ignoring the tray, the Captain offered to take Anna home, leaving me to read my book and quietly dread his return.

The door opened and I could not tell how much time had passed. Had it been long enough for the Captain to have personally accompanied Anna home?

“I trust you are striving to gain useful knowledge.” He sat at his desk and picked up the fork without seeing it. I could not help feeling sorry for her at his indifference.

“I did learn one interesting detail,” I said foolishly, wanting to impress him and afraid of losing the opportunity to speak.

Ave…

“It may be nothing,” I changed my mind.

“If you did not learn anything, do not pretend otherwise.”

Compelled to say something, I said, “The other night—” How to ask without giving away my own secret? But then, he probably knew. “There was high tide, the Mage’s hour, you remember…”

The Captain looked annoyed at my slow, meandering words.

“There was, at that same time, a mystery visitor at one of the grand manors which caused quite a stir. I understand the steward behaved unusually, and the…movement of those within the house was temporarily restricted. And yesterday, nearly all of the inhabitants were unexpectedly absent from that house.” I could not recall what I had wanted to ask.

The Captain stared at me expressionlessly before saying, “Your blind informant provided this information.”

“No, he can definitely see.”

“Oh, he can, can he?”

Well done.

“That is—”

“Thank you for telling me. I trust that he was not angry that you were unable to keep your date, so I will not feel any guilt over that matter.”

“That—”

“If there is nothing else, you should have been looking for—ah, your assignment. Tell me what you learned about the countries.”

Too bad you thought that was unnecessary.

I had only learned about Vior and Niare. “Those manors belong to the Families, right? Contessa Annalize’s Family is Atheron, right?”

“Yes.”

“Which one is yours?” For him to have become such an important person, his family had to be a Family.

“Silver.” He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed slowly.

“The newer Family.”

“Not so new. Silver was the first Family to be chosen to replace an Original Family. It was the first Minor Family before Major Families even existed, and then it was the first Major Family.” For all that he never spoke of his Family, he was surprisingly proud.

“Each family is led by a count who governs that Family’s city?”

He nodded over a butter biscuit, having vanquished the sandwich, but seemed far more interested in reading his reports.

“But there are thirty-some cities with Counts, and only—five and three is eight, plus nine—seventeen Families.”

“Eighteen, if you include Saliz.”

“But the Royal Family only has Saliz, while some of the Great Families have multiple cities.”

“They all run their cities, and their Families, as they choose. House Silver has two counts, one for each of its cities. But some Families, like Thalin, are so busy enjoying life that the Family Heads pass their cities to cousins and distant relatives. House Silver is more attentive to its members.” He frowned, and I suspected that he did not care all that much for his Family’s attention, even if he was proud.

“Each Family has a crest?”

“Yes.”

“Do you recognize this one?” I pushed The History of Niare’s Families across the desk and pointed to the hand-drawn rendition of the symbol of Essel. It was not the same as the Fulvor Family’s crest, but it had a similar design.

“Not as a Family, but I have seen it recently,” he pushed aside his food and opened his drawers to look through his papers.

I sat perfectly still.

He couldn’t have forgotten…

He found the paper and set in on the desk. “The runaway bride. Count Tergin? I do not recall him being a part of any Family.”

“He is a distant cousin to House Fulvor.”

The Captain lost his distracted expression, pushing aside his reports and half-eaten food. He took the book from me to read over the description of House Fulvor. “The oldest and most powerful Family but one, and this Count Tergin married some country bumpkin and chased her all the way to Saliz, even asking my help to find her.” He shook his head and turned back to his reports. “If you have not studied the countries, go do so now and report to me in the morning.”

I stared at the Captain, unable to comprehend. Surely he could recognize the plot from that much information? There was no longer any need to look outside of Niare. I took a deep breath. “Most foreigners would less noticeably enter by the south or east gate,” I said slowly, looking at the map. “Only those from Daerany might reasonably be expected to pass through the north gate, and even they are more likely to use the west gate. The guards would not expect anyone but from Niare to pass through the north gate. Anything else would be suspicious.”

Captain Winter nodded approvingly. “The list procured from the gate guards confirms that.”

I wondered with some annoyance whether there was any point in conversing with him when he already had all the answers. Was everything a test? “They are confident of success.” The Redwood had said both fire and decay. “And overly prepared.”

“Zaphar, King’s Mage, said the same. However that is hardly enough evidence to suspect our own people.”

Was he going to say that every time? That man’s name was imprinted clearly in my brain, making it impossible for me to forget who he was. “Why not?”

He looked up with an expression that required me to answer my own question.

I tried to think of what I would say if I had not known the Count personally. “Well, it is a festival, and there is a ball. The palace will be open to more people than usual. But that also means there will be more guards, both the King’s people and the Families’ guards. So it shouldn’t be a good time to attack, because of all the guards and the security. Plus, attacking with so many foreigners present could start a war not only with us, but also with other countries.”

The same would be true for the Count.

“Since it is a festival, and the palace will be open to more people, that also means they would need a strong force. But it also means it will be easier to get people into the palace, because we need extra help in the kitchen and such.” I had vaguely noticed a rise in staff-like people in the hallways. “So, probably, the king—” I paused just a little too long and uncomfortably remembered my first meeting with the Captain. If he also thought of it, it did not show. “—will be at risk. A plot for the throne seems the most likely. And the most likely to try it is one of our own Families.” Had I gotten there logically?

“You believe that one of the Families intends to overthrow House Saliz, something which has never been attempted in all Niare’s history.”

The Count had said once that he thought he would make a better king, and the other counts in the north were not particularly supportive of many of the changes that the current king, or his Captain, had implemented in the past decade... What had protected House Saliz for so many centuries?

Blind luck. Blood.

I closed my eyes. “None of the Families in the south, and especially in Saliz, would support a king or queen who lacked the proper lineage. The royal family has been the same since—forever.” Influence, power, and money was not enough. He had needed one of us. But how had he known?

“Well reasoned. If you had remembered that sooner, you might have thought to follow my instructions and read about the other countries.”

I ignored him. “No matter the size of the army, a plotter’s only real chance of success would be if they also are a direct descendant of the royal line.”

Or if they married one.

I could not say it. “Therefore, it is impossible. It does not make sense that they could be feeling confident.” I felt like crying.

“And yet, someone believes it is possible, and feels quite confident, and they have amassed support for their cause.”

“But, it is not possible.” How could I say that I was the threat?

“Miss Avery, do you promise that you are absolutely loyal—”

My heart stopped.

“—to me?”

It stuttered, unsure if it was safe to start again or not. “W-what? Not to k-king and country?” I also stuttered.

“They do not need your loyalty. I do.” He waited a moment and added, “A simple yes or no will do.”

As if I could say no! Would I not end up back in the dungeon? But, that he had asked...did he know? Had he always known? “Of course, yes.” My voice came out, but barely. “I-I very much, ah, appreciate all you have taught me and the opportunities—I feel as though my life has gained new meaning.” I even meant it, though I barely knew what I was saying.

“Thank you, Miss Avery. Though the speech was not necessary.” He loved it, though. His eyes sparkled. “Go to bed, Miss Avery.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Avery stayed in the doorway of our closet to watch him at his desk. “I think he knows.”