Keish- March 19, 2005

March 19, 2005
Dear Arri,
Malia and I spent the morning outside, planning my new garden.
My garden, of course, is still at the base of the old tower, and while that is very close, it’s also very small and somewhat inconvenient.  Besides, a new councilor and his wife are moving into the old tower next week.
And the poor garden never recovered from the incident with the fairy queen last summer.
So we’ve turned our attention to the spot of ground on the west of the new tower.
A couple of palace groundskeepers listened attentively as Malia laid out where Aron’s new pond would be and explained the raised beds she wanted for some of the plants, the notes she took in Castlegard last year finally bearing fruit (no pun intended).
They seemed impressed and got right to work.
Malia and I spent the rest of the time sketching out beds and paths and deciding which plants would do best where.
Well, mostly Malia decided.  She has been doing a lot of research about such things.  And I’m still recovering from that party of Caden’s Thursday night.  It’s a wonder I was any help at all.
More likely I wasn’t and Malia was just humoring me.

Caden showed up as we were finishing lunch.
“Now, you know you’re always welcome here,” I said, “but shouldn’t you be overseeing the final details of your ball?  Terrorizing servants?  Something?”
He sighed.  “Mother sent me away.  Apparently I was interfering with her ability to terrorize the servants.”
Jace laughed.  “Well you’d hate to spoil her fun.”
Caden rolled his eyes at that.  “Something like that.  Actually, I thought I’d come see how Keaton was faring without his partner in crime.”
I sighed.  “He’s moping a bit.  And being very studious.  I don’t think Master Zart quite knows what to make of it.  I think he’s in his study.”
“I’ll find him.  Maybe I can help him finish that proposal about chickens.  That should cheer him up, right?”
“I suppose, though I’m not sure what the thought of chickens does for my mood,” I muttered as Caden left.
Jace just laughed.

I’m writing in my dressing room, very carefully.  Malia and I have an agreement-- I can continue to write so long as my head does not move.
She’s having her way with my unruly hair (made more unruly by a brisk gallop on Argentum this afternoon) and pinning it into some sort of ridiculously intricate knot.
“Your dress calls for something extravagant, Mistress,” she says, reading over my shoulder.  “Lord Caden will be entirely put out if you don’t make a very grand impression.”
I did the only thing I could to in response to such a statement-- I stuck my tongue out at her.
“I don’t think Lord Jace will object either,” she added with a mischievous grin.
I suppose I have to concede that point.
Now that she’s pinning my hat into place, though, I shall have to set this aside.  It will likely be far too late to return to it tonight, but I promise you a full account of the ball tomorrow.

March 20th
I exited my dressing room just as Jace was coming out of his.  As always, seeing him in his full court attire made my breath catch.
He stopped in his tracks.  Apparently Malia was right about my hair.
I turned slowly for his inspection.  “Will it do, do you think?” I asked lightly.
In just two steps, Jace took both my hands in his, kissing the palm of each before holding them against his chest.  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
I leaned against him for a moment, content.
After a few minutes, Jace leaned towards my vanity, reaching for my mirror necklace while keeping both of my hands in one of his.
“It needs just one more thing, my lady,” he whispered, moving behind me to fasten the necklace.  He kissed my neck after settling the necklace.  “Perfect.”
And then it was time to go.

Caden was certainly setting the tone for the whole season with his formal extravaganza.  Which was, of course, his intention.
His ball was held in the palace grand ballroom, with the chief palace butler formally announcing each guest as they arrived.
Jace and I stood at the top of the stairs and waited.  As the butler began announcing us, heads turned below us and we were greeted with a torrent of whispering that ran the full length and breadth of the grand room.
Jace took my hand with a grin and we plunged in.

We danced and chatted-- most people are still fairly cool to us, but they’re polite at least and several were even friendly.  We caught glimpses of Caden here and there, mingling, dancing and generally being a splendid and cheerful host.
At one point  he caught my eye and sent me a pained look over Stacia’s head.  Caden is smaller than Jace-- he’s shorter and where Jace is lean and wiry, Caden is mostly just thin-- but Stacia looked like a tiny doll as they danced.
Her dress was painfully overdone.  I think it possibly weighed as much as she does.  I sent Malia to Annette this morning for a sketch of it, which I’m including, but the sketch was only the starting point.  Stacia’s train was longer and there were far more flowers.
We spun and Jace caught sight of Caden and Stacia.  He made a face.  “That girl has no concept of understated elegance.”
I couldn’t disagree, though I’m sure my bold dress was also drawing plenty of comments.
The song ended and Jace and I drifted over to one of the many refreshment tables.  Jace moved closer to get me a glass of punch while I watched couples line up for the next dance, which was a country dance.
“Well I hope you’re happy,” Lady Aoweir said abruptly.
“I beg your pardon?” I replied, startled to find her standing before me.
“Bad enough that my only daughter allied herself with an Elcaran but now to have my first grandchild born in Rousha?  And I suppose that… family of yours will probably have a heavy share in raising it!”  She shook her head in disgust.  “Fairies and mad scientists… it’s terrible just thinking about it.”
“You know, Lady Aoweir, I do find something terrible about the situation,” I interrupted after a few more moments of such disparaging comments.  “I think it’s terrible that Gretel’s child will never know a grandmother’s love.”
With that I walked away, leaving her sputtering angrily.
“Wow,” Jace said softly when we were out of earshot.
I sighed.  “I know.  I’ll have to write a note of apology.  To Gretel, I mean.”
I was distracted by the butler announcing Tish.
Clearly I was not the only one that was going to cause a stir.
Tish’s bodice was similar to mine, which made sense-- I heard her telling Taty and Nysa that it’s a more common style in Iconei-- and the ruffled collar was stunning against her short hair.  Her skirt was slightly short by Arellan standards and doubtless would be the source of much commentary throughout the night.
I thought she looked amazing in the simple Arellan gown she wore Thursday (which I learned later Gretel had given her).  This was above and beyond.
Caden appeared almost immediately and led her out for the next waltz.
A little while later, I saw Caden approach us out of the corner of my eye.  “Have I made enough of a stir?” I asked as we turned toward him.
He laughed.  “You’ve got all of the younger women clamoring jealously for a similar dress and most of the older women shocked.  Though I suspect several of them are also jealous.  Between that and giving Lady Aoweir an incredible set down, I’d say you’ve nearly been labeled a menace to society.”
Jace chuckled at that.
I pouted.  “Only nearly?  And I was trying so hard.”
“Well,” Caden responded, holding out his hand, “I rather imagine that if you grant me the boon of a dance my mother would be willing to upgrade your status.”
Jace grinned and gave me a gentle push.  “You can’t pass up an opportunity like that,” he said with a grin.  “I’ll be right here.”
I let Caden lead me onto the dance floor as a stately waltz began.
“Lady Aoweir deserved it,” I explained.
“Oh I’m certain she did.”
We danced in silence for several beats before I asked Caden, “Shall I act hostile, or is this the beginning of a reconciliation?”
He grinned.  “Oh I think we can manage civility at the very least.  Besides, I think we’ve reached the end of the usefulness of this charade.  There’s certainly plenty of gossip about you tonight, but it’s not the sort that I wouldn’t hear as your friend.”
“I imagine there will be plenty of gossip about Tish also,” I said.
He quirked an eyebrow.  “There would have been anyway.  This is the first major social event she’s attended.”
“You must be flattered.”
Caden just smiled.
We executed an artful turn and I couldn’t believe what I saw.
Stacia Pastile was dancing with Jace.
Caden followed my gaze and gave a low whistle.  Stacia turned just then and glared daggers in our direction.
“Was that murderous look for you or for me, do you think?”
Caden shrugged a little.  “She’s dancing with your husband.”
“Yes, and as far as she’s concerned I may as well be dancing with hers.”
He winced at that, looking back toward Jace and Stacia.  I thought she’d looked tiny dancing with Caden.  Jace dwarfed her.  He didn’t quite dwarf that monstrous dress though.
“Whoever does end up marrying her is going to have his hands full,” Caden said finally.  “I can’t imagine it was Jace’s idea that they dance.”
I snorted.
“Jealous?” he asked teasingly.
“Sympathetic,” I corrected.  “Though from the way Euan is looking at me I may soon be empathetic,” I muttered, spotting Euan across the dance floor.
“Want me to head him off?”
“You’re always welcome to try.  Where’s Vanessa?”
“Didn’t come.  She wasn’t feeling quite the thing today, apparently.  Euan‘s here alone.”
I grimaced.  “That’s like letting an obnoxious animal off it’s leash and setting it on an unsuspecting public.”
Caden’s laugh was loud enough to turn heads.
I gave a wry smile.  “Well, any hope of acting hostile is certainly past.”
“I couldn’t help it,” Caden said, breathless from laughing.
The dance ended and Caden delivered me back to Jace, who’d managed to extricate himself from Stacia.
The clock struck 10 and Caden’s face lit up.   “Time for fireworks!” he declared, moving away from us.
Uncle W.’s fireworks worked their usual magic, of course, both literally and figuratively.  The rest of the court will be hard-pressed to match the display Caden had arranged, though I’m sure several people will try.  Uncle W. will be swamped.
When everyone finally made their way back inside and the music started again, Jace and I drifted from group to group, keeping an eye out for Caden, especially as it got closer and closer to midnight.
He finally found us as the clock was striking half past 11.
“Well, what do you think?”
Jace smiled.  “You’ve set a high standard.  It should make for an interesting season.”
Caden’s mother came up to him while we were talking.  “Caden, dear, what are you doing?” she asked brightly.  Neither her tone nor her smile could hide the distress in her eyes-- due, I’m sure, to finding Caden talking to such undesirables as us.
Caden is a much better actor.  He was all innocence as he replied, “It’s a ball, Mother.  I’m being polite to my guests.”
Her gaze flicked to us before settling back on her youngest son.  “Yes, well.  It’s nearing midnight, are you ready to make you announcement?”
Caden barely stifled a sigh.  “There’s not going to be an announcement tonight.”
Lady Viteri’s eyes widened slightly.  “Oh?  Well if you aren’t prepared to make your own announcement I can certainly do it for you.”
Caden’s smile was tight.  “You aren’t listening, Mother.  There is not going to be an announcement made at all.  Not by me, not by you.”
His mother touched his arm.  “Now, Caden, our agreement was…”
He cut her off.  “We didn’t have an agreement, Mother.  You gave me an ultimatum, but I am not going play along.”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.  “Caden Viteri if you cross me…” she let the threat hang in the air.
“You’ll cut off my allowance?” Caden asked with a wry grin that didn‘t reach his eyes.  “This morning my new solicitor took care of the paperwork required for the money settled on me and this evening my new valet packed my belongings and had them moved to my new residence.  So by all means, Mother, do whatever you feel is necessary.”
And with that, Caden strode purposefully out of his own ball.
It was all I could do not to applaud.
Lady Viteri glared at Jace and me, trying to find a way to blame us, I‘m sure, then turned on her heel and stalked away.
“Should we follow him?” Jace asked quietly.
I shook my head.  “Too suspicious.  Besides, I want to see what Lady Viteri does.  Everyone is expecting an announcement.”
Jace nodded.
Unfortunately that was when Euan found me.  Having left, Caden couldn’t head him off.
“Keish,” he said, holding out a hand as if it were a command rather than an invitation.
I looked at Jace, who seemed to be trying not to laugh as Euan ignored him.
I scowled slightly at him and let Euan lead me onto the floor.
I’d forgotten what an entirely unimaginative dancer Euan is.  I caught sight of Jace dancing with Tish-- they were certainly enjoying themselves more than I was.
Thankfully it was a short waltz.  I gave Euan the barest of all curtseys and found Jace and Tish on my own rather than letting him escort me.  Petulant, maybe, but one short dance was quite enough of his company for one evening.  I won’t bore you with a description of his inane conversation.
As midnight came and went, whispering swept through the ballroom.
Finally, nearing one o’clock, Caden’s oldest brother thanked everyone for coming-- very graciously ending the affair without addressing the subject everyone was talking about.  Caden’s parents were no where in evidence.  Neither were Stacia Pastile and her brother.
Jace and I started back for the tower quickly, ducking outside through the back courtyard to avoid the crowds.
“How long do you think it took people to realize Caden had actually left?” I asked.
Jace laughed a little.  “I don’t know.  Do you suppose his mother realized why he insisted on the fireworks being early?”
I snorted.  “I don’t have much faith in Lady Viteri’s powers of observation.”
As we reached the rear entrance, someone stepped out of the shadows.
“Lurking in the shadows is a bit dramatic, even for you, don‘t you think?” Jace asked Caden good-naturedly as he followed us up the steps.
“I didn’t know what to tell Brooksby.  What I told my mother was a bit of a bluff, I’m afraid.  Alexander brought all of my things here to one of your box rooms.  I don’t suppose that offer of my always being welcome extends to the use of one of your extra rooms for a few nights?” Caden asked.
Brooksby greeted us before either of us could answer.  “My Lord, My Lady.  I do hope your evening was enjoyable.”
“Interesting may be the more appropriate appellation,” Jace told him.
“Very good sir,” Brooksby replied.  “Lord Caden, your room is ready-- I believe you will find Alexander waiting there for you.”
Caden gaped at Brooksby’s back as the man walked away.
Jace laughed.  “You didn’t think this outcome had occurred to us?”
We started up the stairs.  When we reached the landing I pointed.  “Jace’s old room, right next to his study.  We left orders for it to be readied and for Alexander to put your things there rather than the box room.  You can also have Imato’s half of the study.  You’re welcome here as long as you please.”

By the time Malia unpinned my hair and got me out of my dress, it was 2 and I didn’t sleep nearly as long as I’d have liked this morning, so now that I’ve faithfully recorded all relevant details, I think I’ll take a nap.

March 21st
Is the first day of a new term as exhilarating and yet simultaneously exhausting for you as it is for me, Arri?  Things are fresh and new and exciting, and yet there are mountains to climb.  Just thinking about the upcoming work makes me tired.
Not to mention the piles of finals I have to grade.
But at the same time there’s an energy the first week that I can never seem to recapture later in the term.
To top it all off, Keaton finished his proposal about the chickens and presented it to us this evening.
I must say, he was very thorough.
He measured an area to the side of the new garden, determined how many chickens he could keep in such a space (four), and found someone to help him draw up plans for a simple chicken coop.
He even ferreted out a spell to keep the chicks warm in their brooder and another to get rid of any unpleasant smells coming from the coop.
He would like to raise Araucanas, which have odd-looking tufts on the sides of their faces and lay eggs in all different colors.  He finds them entertaining.  Apparently the males grow to be about five pounds while the females are four.  The have what are called “pea combs” and, as I said, lay tinted eggs.  The chicks come in all colors, as do the adults.  They are a unique breed, but easy enough to obtain.
Keaton has also found someone to help him build both brooder and coop and insists upon buying materials out of his allowance.
What could we do but agree?
As a thrilled Keaton ran off to find Caden and tell him the news, Jace sighed.  “At least they don’t fly,” he muttered.
I gave him a questioning look.
He grimaced.  “When I was seven I decided I wanted a closer look as Mother’s birds.  I opened the cage and they rushed out at me, chasing me around the room and pecking at my head when they got me into a corner.  The maid had to rescue me,” he explained.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing.  It certainly explained why he kept his distance from his mother’s birds when we were in Rousha.

March 23rd
Somehow I thought having Caden in residence would make our routines different, but he spent so much time here before, and he’s refusing to let anyone know where he’s staying, so little has changed.
I sat in on his lesson exchange with Tish today.  He’s very good.  I may have to offer him a position.  We could use someone who can teach writing better than I.
His social calendar hasn’t changed, though I’m no longer telling him whom to take to what event.  I think he’s determined to be seen and be seen alone.
And since his uncle is still expecting him to gather information, attending every event is necessary.
Since Caden has always enjoyed society more than Jace or I, this suits him fine.

March 24th
Apparently “running away from home”, as Caden puts it, has had unintended benefits.  Or effects at any rate.
Last night he attended a card party hosted by Sir Tor Epte, a minor knight.  Jace and I know him, but not well.  I imagine Gretel or Imato may know him better.  Jace and I did not receive an invitation, but we’d have turned it down anyway.
As the footman handed Caden his coat at the end of the evening, he surreptitiously slipped Caden a note as well.
“I don’t think…” Caden began, but broke off as he saw the symbol on the folded paper.  He looked at the footman, who nodded sharply and turned away before Caden could say anything else.
Swiftly returning to the tower (through the servants’ corridors as always), Caden came looking for Jace and me.  He found us in our sitting room.
“I hope you’re decent,” he said as he tapped on the door and let himself in.
“You could always wait to be asked in,” Jace replied dryly.
“He’s saving that for a special occasion,” I retorted.
“Actually, I just thought this merited the intrusion,” Caden said, holding the note out to Jace.
Jace took it with a low whistle.  “Where on earth…”
Caden explained how he’d received it.
“But isn’t that…” I began.
“A Sunem name glyph,” Caden finished heavily.
Jace had grabbed a book off a side table and was studying something.  “It’s a rough approximation of your name,” he said quietly after a few moments.
We sat in stunned silence for several minutes.  I didn’t like the implications.
“What does the note say?” I finally asked quietly.
“It gives the details of a meeting.  An invitation, I suppose.  Saturday evening.  Late.”
“This could be what the king has been waiting for,” Jace said.  “Are you going to attend?”
Caden gave us a small smile.  “How can I refuse?”
I enchanted Caden’s note to the king and this morning he received a reply instructing him to attend and report the next morning, but to be cautious.  Not that Caden needed to be told that.

March 25th
“Lord Viteri requests an audience with you, My Lady,” Brooksby intoned from the doorway.
I looked up from the finals spread across the library table.  “And since when does Caden do anything so formally?” I asked with a laugh.
“I’m sorry, My Lady, I should have been more precise.  It is, in fact, Lord Macario Viteri who wishes to speak with you.”
“I see,” I said slowly.  “Well, show him up then.”
Caden’s oldest brother, with the same sandy hair and gray eyes, gives one an immediate idea of what Caden himself will look like in nine or ten years.  His grin belied his deep, precise bow and proved that they share charm as well as looks.  “Lady Pren, thank you for agreeing to see me.  I’m sure you understand why I’ve come.”
“No, I’m afraid your visit is rather a surprise,” I said, indicating a chair.
He remained standing and grew more serious.  “An interesting thing happened today,” he began after a moment.  “A piece of correspondence, a report, was delivered to the Crown Prince by mistake.  Neither he nor I could make any sense of it and naturally His Highness and I took it to the king straight away.  His Majesty thanked us and read the missive without the slightest difficulty, saying only that it was from a private source and enchanted so that only he himself could read it,”  Macario gave me a piercing look.
I didn’t even blink.  “That certainly seems like a reasonable way to deliver sensitive information.”
He nodded slightly.  “Indeed.  It’s strange, though.  I’ve never known the King’s Couriers to make that kind of mistake.  The crown prince demanded an explanation, insisting that the king could no longer continue protecting this source, that protecting the source’s identity should never have extended to keeping such information from the kingdom’s heir to begin with.  Prince Alec was very forceful and with a small laugh King Menion agreed.  I turned to leave but my uncle insisted that I stay and hear what he had to say.”  He paused, studying me.  “His Majesty then told us a very interesting story about asking a young noblewoman to gather gossip and information-- effectively to spy on the upper classes of Adya.”
He stopped again, waiting for a response.  “What an interesting task,” I replied finally.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.  “She declined, however, telling him that he needed someone who is not only always invited, but always expected; intelligent enough to gather the information but not taken so seriously that he’d ever be suspected.  Someone who’s reputation is entirely unexceptional.  And then she gave King Menion a name.”
I returned his stare calmly.  “And did His Majesty follow her recommendation?”
Macario let out an exasperated sigh.  “Enough games, my lady, you know full well he did.  And when His Majesty said that my brother, of all people, was the closely guarded source… everything made sense.  His Majesty’s reaction to that rather scandalous display in the courtyard, for example.  After watching the entire scene from a window His Majesty seemed amused.  Now I know why.”  He fell silent, eyes down, lost in his own thoughts.
“Why is it you’re here, Lord Viteri?” I asked softly after several moments.
He smiled, looking up at me again.  “I’m sorry, I was just thinking you remind me of someone.”  he shook his head slightly.  “I am here, my lady, because I know that you can give my brother a message.  He is still seen at all of the major social events, I know, but he won’t speak with any of us.  I hoped you would tell him that I’d like to speak with him.”
“Who do I remind you of?” I asked rather than responding to his request.
He pressed his lips together.  Then, taking a deep breath, he replied, “You remind me of my sister Cambria, my lady.”
“How very interesting.”  I looked past him.  “Don’t you think so, Caden?”
Macario spun around to see Jace and Caden standing in the doorway.  They’d been there long enough to hear most of Macario’s story and Caden looked frozen in his tracks.
“Caden!” Macario exclaimed.  He pulled up short before reaching towards his youngest brother.  “I had hoped the Prens would relay a message.  I’d like to speak with you.”
For a moment Caden just stared.  Then he bowed slightly.  “I’m afraid I have an appointment.  If you all will excuse me.”
Macario seemed to deflate as Caden turned and left.  “I’ve upset him,” he said quietly.
Jace put a hand on his shoulder.  “He does have an appointment.”
Macario tried to smile.  “Thank you for your time, my lady,” he said with a bow.
“I’ll see you out,” I told him.
We walked down a flight of stairs in silence.  I paused.  “I’ve just realized I needed to check something,” I said with an apologetic smile.
“I’ll see myself out, Lady Pren.  Please don’t trouble yourself.”
“Nonsense.  It will only take a moment,” I said quickly, putting a hand on his arm.  “You don’t mind waiting only a moment.”
Of course good manners forced him to agree.
I smiled and walked toward Jace’s study, using a nudge of magic to ensure that the drawing room door was slightly open as I passed it.  When I reached the end of the corridor I turned and counted to ten very slowly before silently walking back.
When I rejoined Macario it was obvious he’d seen right through my little subterfuge, but he stood outside the drawing room listening in fascination.  “Caden’s teaching.”
I smiled.  “He’s very good at it.”
Macario’s expression was thoughtful as we turned and finished making out way downstairs.  At the door he turned to me suddenly.  “I want to thank you and your husband, Lady Pren.  For seeing in Caden what the rest of us seem to have missed entirely.”
“Most days it’s our pleasure,” I replied.
He looked startled, then laughed aloud.  “I can see why he likes you, Lady Pren.”
“Please, it’s Keish,” I told him.  “Come to lunch tomorrow.  Jace and I will talk to Caden.”
“Very well, and you’ll have to call me Macario,” he said with a gallant bow.  “Thank you again.”
“Did you show him?” Jace asked casually when I returned to the library.  (Proving once again that he knows me too well.)
I just smiled and we both went back to our work.
Caden, however, did not smile when he learned that Macario would be joining us for lunch.  “Keish, how dare you?  He probably went straight to Mother and Father after he left as it is.”
I rolled my eyes.
“You can’t hide from your family forever, Caden,” Jace pointed out.  “What harm will it do to see what Macario has to say?”
“I don’t think your uncle would have told him anything if he didn’t think you could trust Macario,” I said in exasperation.  “Besides, I remind him of Cambria too.”
Caden sighed.  “Fine.  One lunch.  But then I get to decide if I have anything else to do with him,” he declared, his eyes daring me to contradict him.
I simply rolled my eyes again rather than dignifying that with a response.

March 26th
Lunch was… interesting.
Macario was prompt and charming; Caden was sullen and moody.
“Where did you tell Miranda you were going?” Caden asked his brother.
“I told her the truth-- that I was meeting you for lunch.”
“And she was just thrilled,” Caden replied flippantly.
“She was happy and relieved.  She and Racquel are still close and while our charming cousin may not break any confidences, her praise can be lavish.”
Caden’s only reply was a grunt.
I rolled my eyes.  “Brooksby,” I called into the hallway (we were in the salon), “would you find Keaton and tell him Caden wants him to meet his older brother please?”
Caden glared at me, but Keaton appeared almost immediately and he dutifully made the introductions.
“Keaton, keep Lord Macario company a moment, won’t you?  Tell him about your chicken coop.”
I all but dragged Caden out of the room, Jace prodding him along from behind.  I’m a terrible hostess, I know, leaving a child to entertain a guest while I had words with our recalcitrant friend, but Macario is a father.  I was certain he would know how to listen to a child.
“You could at least be civil,” Jace said sternly as soon as we were in the neighboring morning room.  “He seems genuinely concerned about you.”
“And you know as well as we do that King Menion contrived that whole situation.  He’d already received your note and responded to it, so how could it be inadvertently delivered to the crown prince?  The king wanted Macario to know,” I added.
Caden all but growled.
“You agreed to this lunch,” I reminded him, “so I’m only going to say this once: be nice.”
He looked like he had all manner of unpleasant things he wanted to say, but Jace was standing close and giving him a very stern look, so he wisely refrained.
We returned to the salon, where Macario seemed enchanted by Keaton’s chatter.  Listening to Keaton helped Caden relax and by the time we went in to lunch he was almost cheerful.  Well, no longer sullen, at least.
Talk drifted and swirled.  Papa had joined us, but Keaton was off with Master Zart to have lunch with Tish.  I think Caden wished he had gone with them, but at least he wasn’t growling.
Finally, the conversation turned to Caden’s ball, and his confrontation with his mother.
Macario sighed.  “You’re too young to recognize the pattern,” he said gently.  “It wasn’t just about Stacia Pastile.  Mother’s been this way with all of us.  Alec married, so I needed to marry also.  Drytan married, so Gage was next.  Dalton managed to get around it-- he married Xandra a few months before Gowlan married Romella.  Mother thinks it makes us not only more suitable companions but better able to serve as confidential secretaries.  She doesn’t bother Terence-- since she’d already decided on you for Euan she ran out of prince regents.”
Caden looked incredulous.  “This is about Euan becoming prince regent?  Mother’s as delusional as he is.”
Macario shrugged.  “She likes to be prepared.”
“Uncle is not going to make Euan prince regent.”
“Well, I know that.  And you know that.  And Aunt Jocasta is torn between being upset at the slight to Euan and thrilled that he won’t leave Adya.”
I grimaced.
Macario saw and chuckled.  “Yes, I know.  But he’s always been her favorite.”
“Something I’ve never fully understood,” I replied under my breath.
Not quietly enough, though.  “She almost lost him,” was Papa’s quiet response.
I gave him a blank look.
“He was born exactly when your mother said he would be, but there were complications she hadn’t seen.”
Macario nodded.  “I was old enough I remember.  It was three days before the doctors were certain the queen would live and then another ten before they were sure about Euan.”
“I don’t think the queen ever quite forgave Ellean.”
I bristled.  The two most important rules of divination, Brynn always says, are that you can’t choose what you see and that sometimes you can’t see everything.  “She didn’t know,” I said defensively.
“The king understood that,” Macario said gently, “but I don’t think the queen found not knowing any more forgivable.”
“That probably goes a long way toward explaining why she’s never cared for me,” I muttered.
Macario laughed.  “Actually I think it’s mostly that you terrify her.”
Caden grinned.  “Keish terrifies a lot of people.  They should form a society.”
“Or a therapy group,” I shot back.
Jace just laughed and squeezed my hand.
Macario grew serious as the meal wound down.  “Where are you staying, Caden?  I spent most of Monday trying to find out.  Miranda’s been worried; she wants you to come stay with us.”
Caden shook his head.  “No, I won’t put you in that position with Mother,” he replied.  “I’m staying here.”
Macario nodded.  “I wondered, after yesterday.”
“How…” Caden began tentatively, “how is Mother taking it?”
Marcario chuckled.  “She’s furious.  Father’s amused, for what it’s worth.  Stacia left in a huff, though it was difficult to tell who was more irritated, her or Eli.  Dalton is entirely put out with you, also.  Or at least he will be by the time they get to Streatfeld.  He’d thought that leaving so soon after the ball would spare them from traveling with Eli and Annaleis.  Not to mention Stacia.”
Clearly Caden wasn’t the only one who didn’t love his brother-in-law.
By the time Macario took his leave, Caden was relaxed and pleasant.
Macario stopped at the door, turning back.  “Be careful tonight,” he said simply, the only reference he’d made to the meeting Caden was to attend or any work Caden was doing for the king.
Caden nodded sharply and Macario left.

March 27th
We waited in the library for Caden for hours upon hours last night.  At least that was how it felt.
He went first to a dinner party-- the meeting was to start at 10.
By midnight, Jace was looking worried.  I was trying to distract myself with the latest sensational novel that everyone is pretending they haven’t read, but when Jace started pacing I lost all concentration.
The clock struck one and Jace stopped pacing.  He stared at the fire.  “Should we do something?”
I stared out the window.  “I don’t know.  Maybe he’s just being careful-- he wouldn’t want to be followed here.”
“If he’s not here by two I’m going to King Menion,” Jace said finally in a determined voice.
I just nodded.
It was quarter to two when Caden came in and dropped heavily into a chair.
“How bad is it?” Jace asked quietly.
Caden’s laugh was a short mirthless bark.  “I don’t know.  They’re careful.  I only met with three people tonight and they didn’t tell me much.”
He stared at nothing for several moments before Jace prompted him to tell us the rest.
“Sir Epte’s footman was there.  And a minor palace butler.  They’re both Grestean apparently.  But it was Sir Jer DeLion whom I was really there to talk to.”
I gasped a little.  “But he’s Arellan.”  I only know him slightly-- he’s another minor knight.  He just transferred out of Sir Aoweir’s division so is still in Adya.  I’m sure Gretel knows him.
Caden nodded somberly.  “I think that was their point.  I wouldn’t be the only Arellan involved.”
Jace’s face was grim.  “What did they say?”
“That something needed to be done to shake up the government.  That we are too reliant on our good relations with Elcaro.  That maybe the king shouldn’t be the king.”
“Treason,” Jace said simply.
Caden nodded.  “Simple, unvarnished treason.  And what a coup for them-- to have the queen’s nephew on their side.”
I grimaced.
“What’s next?” Jace asked, ever pragmatic.
“I’ll be contacted.  At my club.  I’m supposed to be thinking it over.  I walked aimlessly for a while to see if I was being followed.  I was.  So I went to my club and told the butler I’d be in the library and didn’t want to be disturbed.  That will always buy you an hour or two.  I slipped out a back entrance and went to report to the king.”
“I thought you were to see him in the morning,” Jace said.
“I received a discreet note at dinner.  No matter the time I would find him in his study.”
“And how did he react?”
“He’s angry, of course, but my being pulled in like this is the best thing we could have hoped for.  I’m to play along until I know more.  He doesn’t want to step in prematurely and catch only a few while sending the rest deeper into hiding.”
Jace furrowed his brow.  “That puts you in a rather precarious position.”
Caden gave him a wry grin.  “I’ll take those further sparring lessons you offered now.”
Jace didn’t smile in return, just nodded.  “We’ll use the mats in the drawing room.  Daily.”  His tone indicated there would be no argument.
Caden sighed and nodded.  He looked ready to collapse.  Between the strain and the hour I think we all did.
It doesn’t seem any less bleak in the light of day, Arri.

March 28th
I have your letter.  I’m sorry your classes aren’t what you’d hoped.  It will get better, though.  Right?
If Imato is calling Gretel in his sleep then either his calling spells are stronger than I thought or it is because they are so close.  Which makes sense.  After all, I can call Jace, which magical theory says is highly improbable.  If I hadn’t interrupted Imato’s call to Jace, Jace never would have heard it.
I am also surprised that the talisman survived.  I’m glad Imato was able to retrieve it.  He should keep it-- it would be fitting for him to wear it.
Gordo is right to be proud of the drawings he and Mendel made of the Pren house-- they are certainly impressive.  Jace says Mendel clearly has a real talent for it.  Malia has already made pages of notes and is writing to Taty.
Caden says no one owes him anything for keeping Liop entertained.  His motives were entirely selfish-- he had at least as much fun as the boys.
We should make it an annual event.  Perhaps next year your break will be longer so that you can come too.
I’m glad you are back to work with Master Grant.  Tish and Caden are planning to spend Saturday trying to take reflections of cells and searching for other ideas for you.
Jace wonders, since freezing water conventionally will also freeze the bacteria, if you can prevent that from happening.  Can you keep the bacteria from freezing while Master Grant freezes the water around it with ice?
Sagiteri Curtiz sounds interesting.  I’m sorry it caught you so off guard, but I doubt it was as dreadful as you thought.  I’m sure she thinks you were wonderful, if only a little shy.
I am very glad you do not have Dr. Kondamuri.
Jace is amused but unsurprised that Mendel is talking about the honor roll as though it were a joust.
Caden says you’re already breaking ground just by being there and to be getting such high marks without having been to an academy should put you on your own honor roll every single term.  I agree.
I hadn’t thought about asking the Chronicle either.  What a perfect idea.
I think you must be correct about Sen’a being your father.
Caden is hoping to perhaps learn what Mic’o is as he continues his clandestine meetings.
The spell that you saw for Ta’y raises very interesting questions.  Gretel’s right-- the Gresteans could be searching for something completely worthless.
Then again, it could mean that that spell is what should be used if and when the object is found.
I think you were right to tell Captain Stoddart no.  You have enough to do without a trip to Marobury.  There are others who can lead an inquiry.  Brynn would be willing, I’m sure, if he wants someone with a Brio connection.
I still can’t divine anything about you healing your father, but I can tell you that there’s nothing in Marobury that will explicitly help you do it.

This letter has gotten far longer than I intended, so I’ll have to close.  Good luck with your new term.  Tish says she will write you after she and Caden experiment Saturday.

Love Always,

Keish

See the Sketches

Go to NEXT Letter

Arri- March 18, 2005

March 18, 2005
Dear Keish,

Today I took my notes to Uncle W. to get his opinions on the subject. We spent a couple of hours going through the chemicals in his laboratory and discussing their potential in healing. In Odsreq, Uncle W. sometimes acted as an apothecary, mixing compounds for the local doctors. Rousha has plenty of fulltime apothecaries, so he doesn’t do much of that anymore, but he still has a lot of the chemicals on hand. He isn’t a doctor, but he could tell me what the different medicines are prescribed for. It was interesting and I added more notes to my collection, all the time wondering if I was really making the best use of my time. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading the notes. Reading, reading, reading. I think I have them memorized.
I went to the university campus to get my schedule for next term. Here it is:
College Algebra, course 2: 9am, daily
Basic Biology, course 2: 10am, daily
Introduction to Geology: 1-3pm, four days a week

I think the advisors have forgotten what my major is. There isn’t a single medical course in this list. I’m happy to take the biology, and with Basic Biology 1, it will count the same as if I had taken Medical Biology. I wouldn’t mind the other classes, except that I need to heal Father and how will studying math and rocks help with that? It’s very frustrating. Uncle W. says it will get better. These other classes count towards my generals and once I have all of my generals done, the advisors will have to put me in the medical classes. I haven’t shown my schedule to Master Ujifil yet, but he will only sigh and mutter something about distractions. I rather agree with him.
I haven’t seen Mendel and Gordo’s schedules yet. I don’t think we’ll have any classes together.

March 20th
I received your letter. Your dresses are all beautiful! I’m going to copy out your sketches and send them to Treany. I’m sure she will decide that Adya is the new center of fashion. Gretel also loves the look and hopes it is still in style next year when she will be able to wear it.
It sounds like Liop and Keaton had the time of their lives with Caden. It’s too bad they don’t live closer together. I can’t wait for them to get home tomorrow so that I can hear their versions of what happened.
Without Taty around I don’t get nearly as many invitations to social events as I normally would. It’s something of a relief since I turn down most of them anyway. But I do miss Taty. That was the great thing about living with the Prens: I saw a lot more of her. Since the incident with Master Calibri, Taty has taken to telling gentlemen exactly what she thinks of them the moment they start paying attention to her. That way they can’t be confused about her feelings. At the advice of Lady Pren, she also put a limit on the number of times she allows a gentlemen to take her out or call on her. Master Corey gets around it by inviting other young people and keeping all their activities in a group without pairings. Although, really, it’s not much different from the way he and Master Beagan planned social events before.
Liop and fireworks is a scary combination. I’m glad Thor is going to be okay. Uncle W. keeps a strict eye on him here. I’m sure he will get quite a lecture on what he and Keaton did in the drawing room. Liop should have known better.
That’s funny that Imato cast a calling spell in his sleep. Gretel, however, is wondering if it explains why she’s woken up several times in the middle of the night convinced that Imato was in the room with her, only to find out he wasn’t at all.
“If that’s true, then maybe you’ve finally found a type of magic you can sense,” I commented.
Gretel’s eyes widened. “You’re right!” she declared enthusiastically. As I write this, Gretel is taking pen and paper to write Imato on the subject. We’re expecting Express to return any day now with Imato’s latest letter.
It’s amazing that Father’s talisman, made only of wire, survived the war. With it being so close to Imato, I’m sure he will be able to retrieve it quickly.  We might even receive word of it in his next letter.
I wish I could have gone to Spring Market with you. It sounds lovely. The weather has been wonderful. It sounds like Liop and Keaton had a lot of fun hunting dragons in the woods. Elcaro’s castle doesn’t have any woods, just well-tended young parks. You have to leave the city to find anything resembling a forest.
The party sounds like it was very nice. I’m sure Nysa and Taty will show me their dresses when they get home. Nysa needed a new dress. She so rarely wants anything for herself. It sounds like you all had a wonderful time.
I should mention that the King and Queen did acknowledge Master Corey and Captain Wood. Master Beagan, however, is the one who risked his life, even though we all know the others would have done so too.
I did not get to see the floor plan Mendel and Gordo made before they sent it, but I am told it was very impressive. Gordo is very proud of it. He is taking Introduction to Architecture this term. It is probably the only subject about which Mendel knows more than he does, with the possible exception of fishing.
I have not tried to take Mendel’s test and I’m not going to. I will let Mendel know that Caden liked it.

March 21st
Liop, Nysa, and Taty returned home yesterday, exhausted and ready for bed. Today, we all had dinner at the Prens’ so that we could hear about their adventures. I’ve heard so much about the science museum that I’m beginning to feel that I really was there. Uncle W. says he owes Caden a big favor for entertaining Liop so completely. I think I’m going to be hearing about Spring Break for months. Nysa and Taty also had a wonderful time. Nysa says we must do this every year and that I must find a way to come too.

March 24th
I was first to the laboratory on the 22nd, glad to be back working with Master Grant. I had to wait for him to arrive a few minutes later and unlock the lab door. I asked him how his break was and he said he enjoyed it very much. I told him that I’d been going over my notes and studying. He smiled and nodded.
“I have someone coming at the end of our meeting today that I’d like you to meet,” he said.
I spent most of the next two hours wondering who Master Grant could possibly want me to meet. I didn’t know of anyone else at the university who might be interested in our work. We picked up right where we left off with searching for a spell that could impact a bacterium. The spell I had chosen to try next was a spell to freeze water. I prepared a fresh slide and invited Master Grant to check my work, which he did. Then I cast the spell. The bacteria on the slide froze instantly with the water. Pleased, I showed Master Grant.
“This is very interesting,” he said, “but can we say that the magic worked on the bacteria or on the water? Water frozen in an ordinary way will also freeze bacteria.”
My excitement deflated.
“Still,” Master Grant continued without looking at me, “this does imply that magic can be used to impact individual cells indirectly. We should document these results.”
This meant Master Grant thought the results important enough to replicate a few hundred times. I felt a little better.
We were just starting to clean up when someone knocked sharply on the door of the lab. Master Grant smiled widely at me and went to open it.
Standing in the doorway was a young woman unlike any I have seen before. She looked almost Iconese, but not quite. Her skin was reddish though not nearly as dark as Aegolius. Her eyes, though gold, were also paler. Her features were a mixture of Iconese and Arellan/Elcaran features. She stood taller than me with a sturdier figure. Beautiful and dramatic, I could easily imagine her in the theatre. I stared without saying anything.
“Miss Arri Etautca,” said Master Grant with obvious enthusiasm, “I’d like you to meet Miss Sagiteria Curtiz. Sagi, this is Miss Etautca.”
“Miss Etautca,” she came forward to shake my hand warmly, “Emil has told me so much about your work. I do hope you’ll be able to heal your father soon.”
“Sagi and I just became engaged,” Master Grant explained.
I had not anticipated that. I reddened and said nothing, feeling increasingly like an idiot.
“Pleased to meet you,” I stammered, wanting to run.
“Will you show me your laboratory?” asked Miss Curtiz, “My mother comes from Iconei and she taught me to love science. I very much admire your courage in coming to college. I was raised here in Elcaro, but my mother attended college in Iconei before she immigrated. She tells me she was no great talent…”
It was a relief to discover that Miss Curtiz loves to talk. She told me all about her father’s adventurous spirit which took him to Iconei where he met her mother, married her, and brought her back to Elcaro, much to the astonishment and consternation of his family. She was clearly proud of her heritage, proud of Master Grant for his decision to study biology, and eager see the discoveries he would make.
“They believe in Iconei that Elcaro is very backward, but you and Emil will soon prove them wrong,” she concluded.
I liked her, but it was a relief to excuse myself after fifteen minutes so I could run to Algebra. I almost bumped into Lorenzo walking Lexie on my way out, which made me run even faster. I wanted to bury myself in algebraic equations and not think about anything for a while.
Fortunately, I do not have Dr. Kondamuri again this term. Neither my algebra nor my geology professor has commented on my gender. I’ve decided school is easiest when no one seems to notice me. After algebra I had biology with Dr. Ecrue again and by the end of that class I was feeling much calmer, although still very much like an idiot. I hardly said two words to Miss Curtiz and she was so nice. What must she think of me?

March 25th
My test scores were posted today. I didn’t make the honor role, but Mendel says I shouldn’t feel badly. He says that I probably have the craziest schedule of any student on campus and that I should be proud that my grades are good. He and Gordo are vying for top of the honor roll of course, with Mendel just behind Gordo in his marks. I think Gordo takes it for granted that he will always be on top. Mendel, however, is determined to beat him. To hear Mendel talk about the other high honor students, you’d think they were all competitors in a joust.

Gretel had begun pacing the floors, torn between anger and worry over the fact that no letter had yet come from Imato. However, this evening Express finally arrived and Gretel snatched the letter away from her and left me to offer her food and water. I can’t really blame Gretel. The letter was definitely late.
Imato has been to the cave and retrieved Father’s talisman. He is happy to report that the enchantment on it is still intact. He’s been studying it and believes the spell is specific to Father and his descendants, that it won’t work for anyone else. It’s not a really strong spell; wards were not a talent of Mother’s, but it is full of her love. This makes it very unlikely that the talisman is what the Grestians are looking for. Imato offered to send the talisman to us (or you) if we want to do further testing. Gretel says that she would rather he kept it since it is still working and will work for him. I like that idea. I’m not sure what I would do with it.

March 26th
I had an idea today. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I decided to ask the Chronicle what it knew about the seven names. The first name I asked about was Y’low. The book opened to a blank page. Disappointed, but not discouraged, I tried A’Ter. The response was better this time: pages and pages of ancient battles between Greste and Elcaro, and also Greste and Yuglicov during the time that Elcaro and Arella were subject to that empire. It is odd to think of Yuglicov as an empire when it’s now such a small, unassuming little country on Elcaro’s southwestern corner. Three hundred years has changed a lot. I skimmed through the pages, but I didn’t see anything that struck me as important. Maybe later when I have more time I will read them more carefully.
The next name I asked the Chronicle about was P’Le. The book found a brief mention of him as the captain of the army in a battle Father fought in. I read the entry carefully, but didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know. I think Mother wrote that entry. Next I tried K’lei. The Chronicle opened to a blank page.
“That makes sense,” said Gretel, who was watching my spell-casting with interest, “If your mother was the last person to write in the Chronicle and no one knew anything about K’lei yet.”
“True,” I said, “Mother would only have written things she thought were important to the Brio Clan.”
I hesitated and then decided to move on to the names that most interested me. I started with Sen’a. The Chronicle immediately opened to the same entry that contained the name of Captain Pelei. It didn’t say so directly, but I think this is good evidence that Sen’a is actually Father and not Captain Stoddart. If it were Captain Stoddart, I think the Chronicle would have been blank or would have mentioned him when he was Father’s chief Lieutenant.
The next name I tried was Mic’o, but the Chronicle knew nothing about this name.
Last, I tried Ta’y, which is the name the experts think might be an object. The Chronicle opened to a spell. Surprised, I studied it. It was a spell for stripping an object of magic, one layer at a time. The name “Ta’y” did not appear anywhere on the nearly three pages of instructions for performing the spell.
“So is Ta’y another name for this spell?” asked Gretel, leaning over my shoulder, “Or is it another name for one of the ingredients in the spell?”
“Or is this the last spell that was performed on the object?” I asked.
Gretel nodded, frowning.
“But if this was the last spell performed on the object,” she said slowly, “wouldn’t that mean that the Grestians are, in effect, searching for an object that is worthless?”
We were silent for a minute, considering this possibility.
“They may not know the object is useless,” I said, “What if it’s a weapon that was captured in battle? It would have been sent to Marobury. First they would have stripped its magic, and then they would have melted it down.”
“Assuming it was made out of metal,” commented Gretel.
“They would have done whatever was necessary to destroy it whatever it was made out of,” I responded.
“If they got it,” said Gretel. She had a point.
I took what information I had to Captain Stoddart this evening. He listened gravely to Gretel and my hypotheses about T’ay. It all felt less important and more speculative the longer I talked.
“I think a trip to Marobury is in order,” said Captain Stoddart, “We should make inquiries among the workers who may have been present when the 2000 Spring Battle occurred. Lady Arri, would you be willing to lead the party? I think your connections to the events and your work with the Chronicle make you a good choice of leaders.”
I took a step back, stunned. He wanted me to lead an inquiry? I didn’t know how to respond.
“I can have a party ready at the end of next week,” the captain continued, “How long do you think you will need to make a thorough investigation?”
Next week. That brought me back to reality. I would have to miss school. Confusion gripped me. This was related to helping Father, but so were my studies. Which was more important?
“Lady Arri?” asked Captain Stoddart.
“I’m honored,” I began hesitantly, “that you would trust me with this…” I trailed off, thinking hard. The words of my last conversation with Trena circled among my thoughts.
“I can’t go,” I said, finally, “I’m sorry. I have to stay here and work on healing Father. I don’t think going to Marobury will help me with that.”
Captain Stoddart folded his arms, frowning. A feeling of panic gripped me.
“You see,” I rushed on, “Trena said Father could answer all my questions. She said I had to heal him first, so if I go off on this inquiry, I’ll be trying to get the answers myself, which isn’t what Trena said. More information is just more information. I’m sorry.”
Captain Stoddart continued to frown, but he nodded.
“I’m sorry too,” he said, “but I will respect your judgment. Feel free to change your mind. I still want to send an inquiry.”
Keish, did I do right? I turned down the Captain of the Elcaran Army. I don’t think he was pleased. What if there is something in Marobury that will help me cure Father? What if I chose wrong?

I’m glad finals went so smoothly for you and that you had such a wonderful spring break. Give my love to everyone.

Love,
Arri

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Keish- March 12, 2005

March 12, 2005
Dear Arri,
They’re here.  “FINALLY” as Taty said.
What, pray tell, made Uncle W. think it would be a good idea to send Caden’s very large firework order with them?
After two-and-a-half days of traveling with Liop and fireworks and Nozama Nysa was looking decidedly nettled and Taty was muttering about being glad to be the youngest child.  Both were very very glad to turn Liop over to Master Zart.
“For the duration,” Nysa said dryly.
Caden was here when they arrived (I think he was nearly as excited to see Liop as Keaton was) and gleefully began looking through the crates of fireworks as Dylan and Reid brought them into the drawing room.  (Since Dylan is also our “Master of the Menagerie” he and Nozama had to be properly introduced first.)

Taty immediately began remonstrating me for not giving more detail or sending a sketch to her or you of my “very dramatic” (Jace’s description) new dress-- the one I had made for my birthday.  Apparently it was the height of cruelty to not give a detailed account and sketch, so I’ve been ordered to rectify the situation.  This meant showing her the dress, of course, but also sending a sketch to you with apologies.
When Malia brought it out of my dressing room, Nysa and Taty both gasped.
I suppose it is rather bold, but since I didn’t wear it to Stacia Pastile’s presentation after all, I hadn’t gotten many reactions yet.  (Caden demanded that I reserve such a dramatic fashion statement for HIS ball.  Since his demands were as annoying as his pleading had been, Jace picked a different gown for me just to make him be quiet.)
When I initially went to the seamstress to have a gown made for my birthday, Annette all but pounced on me.  “How do you feel about something new and daring, Lady Keish?” she asked, eyes sparkling.
“I presume you have something in mind,” I said dryly.
“I want to try it, but no one else at court is bold enough to wear it,” she explained, handing me a sketch with a flourish.
I’m enclosing the very sketch for you.  I was surprised, to say the least.  The design is shocking without being scandalous, and she was right-- no other woman at court would dare wear it unless someone else did first.
I decided I rather liked it.  If I hadn’t worn red and gold for Gretel, the colors would have concerned me, but the rich brocade held too much drama for me to turn down.
And of course the little hat just makes the whole thing.
I made Annette very happy by choosing it, and she made me very happy by turning it out perfectly.  Jace’s initial reaction was all I needed to love this dress.
Taty wanted to try it on, but I’m at least a full three inches taller than she is and it just wouldn’t do.  The tails on the coat require height to pull them off.
She was disappointed, but her father had given her a very generous shopping allowance for this trip, so she dragged Nysa and me to see Annette immediately, who was thrilled to show Taty all manner of similar designs and fabrics.
Taty was trying to talk Nysa into having a dress made also, but Nysa just ducked her head with a smile and demurred.

I left them to it and wandered back to the drawing room to find Caden and the boys still eagerly sorting fireworks.
“Oh, there you are Keish.  Good.  What‘s all this about Keaton not being in Adya for his birthday?” Caden launches into discussions with no preamble whatsoever sometimes.
“He’ll be in Leilan, with his parents, for the whole summer,” I replied.
“Denying these two boys the chance to celebrate each other’s birthdays!”
I rolled my eyes and waited for Caden to get to his point.  Assuming he had one.
Jace came in before he could make it.  “I do hope you’re not yelling at my wife again,” Jace told Caden by way of greeting.
“I just think it’s an injustice that Liop and Keaton with each miss the other’s birthday,” he said.
“And you just hate injustice,” Jace teased.
Caden looked mildly hurt.  “You know I do.  But never fear, I have a plan.”
“Here it comes,” I muttered.
“We’ll celebrate all our birthdays.  We’ll throw the best secret birthday party for half a dozen people anyone has ever seen.”  He furrowed his brow.  “Or not seen.”
Despite his odd phrasing, both boys picked up on his meaning immediately.
“Can we, Keish?” Keaton asked hopefully.  The longing in his eyes was almost heartbreaking.  Doubtless a good birthday bash wasn’t the proper thing in Leilan.
Liop had grabbed Jace’s hand and was switching languages every third word as he begged Jace to agree.
I laughed, holding up a hand to stop the madness surrounding me.  “Throw whatever party you’d like, Caden, but it’s on you.  Jace and I have finals to deal with.”
Caden bowed with a flourish.  “Of course.  I will see to everything.  I just need your drawing room here and your servants.  Now if only there were fireworks we could use indoors…”
Liop scrambled from Jace’s side to one of the crates.  He withdrew a small box.  “These are Uncle W.’s latest invention.  They’re a cross between the little firecrackers he brought at New Year’s and real fireworks.  He says they can be used indoors.”
Caden’s face lit up.  Heaven help us, it’s like we have three boys on our hands.  He set the box carefully on a table.  “These will stay here then.  We’d best put the rest of these back in their crates, though, so that they can be properly delivered to me.”
Jace and I left the boys helping him as all three listed off the terribly extravagant menu they thought the party needed.
“Save Thursday night,” Caden called after us.
“Thursday’s also the day we’re going to the museum,” Jace reminded me.
I sighed a little, but smiled.  “Should make for an interesting day.”

At dinner Caden told everyone about the birthday party.  (How he explains all the time he spends with us to his parents, I have no idea.)
Papa  and Taty were eager conspirators, of course, but Nysa looked thoughtful.
“I haven’t thought about my own birthday in a very long time,” she said slowly.  “I don’t even remember when it is.”
“July,” I told her.  “I suppose we overlooked it completely in the chaos last summer.  That was thoughtless of us.”
She shook her head.  “I don’t need a celebration.”  She furrowed her brow.  “I’m not even certain how old I am.  I would have to ask Winthrop.”
I smiled.  “Since Brynn says you won’t age normally I’m not sure your age on paper would be correct.”
Caden shrugged.  “Just pick any age you like.  High society ladies do it all the time.  My mother was 35 for an improbable amount of time.  She used to love it when people would ask how many of us were her stepchildren.”
Papa laughed.  “Ellean always claimed to be older than she actually was, rather than younger.  She said she’d rather people thought that she looked incredibly youthful for her age than that she was simply young.”
That made us all laugh, of course.  Personally, I think my mother had the right idea.

March 13th
Liop and Keaton are fine.
The veterinarian assures us that while Thor may always have a slight limp, puppies are very resilient.  He should be back chasing things in just a few days.  Though hopefully not fireworks.
Jace has given the boys a stern fatherly talking to, though secretly I think he’s at least a little amused.
At least they were using Uncle W.’s new indoor fireworks.  Unfortunately they do still explode.  Since they were in the drawing room throwing them against a blank wall everything would have been fine if Thor hadn’t thought it was a game of fetch.
Master Zart is absolutely mortified, blaming himself for leaving the boys to themselves for an hour.
“Nonsense,” I told him.  “You certainly deserve to eat a meal in peace.  Besides, if they hadn’t gotten into trouble with the fireworks today they’d have managed to find another time.”
“At least the remained in the tower with them,” Taty pointed out helpfully.  She and Malia had been in the solarium looking at fabric.  Not having the blueprints from Mendel yet certainly hasn’t deterred Taty, though her dress has distracted her somewhat.
“Really given their mutual interest in alchemy an explosion was inevitable,” I declared, standing up from my crouched position examining the remains of the chair Thor had dashed under.  I wiped the dust from my hands.  “Personally I’m relieved to have it over with so early in the visit.”
Brooksby took charge of the remaining indoor fireworks, promising to lock them in the butler’s pantry.  I made sure he wouldn’t give them to anyone-- not just the boys-- in case one of the enterprising young magicians managed a glamour.  I doubt either of them could, but Liop has taught me to be extra cautious about such things.

While the boys were trying to blow up the drawing room, I was studying your father’s pocket watch.  True to his word, Liop had not cast any spells on it, thankfully.  In fact, he was very careful not to handle it any more than necessary and delivered it to me wrapped in a handkerchief.  I commended him for his caution and he blushed.
“I heard Arri telling Gretel what you’d said about harmonics,” he said with a little shrug.  “I didn’t want to complicate anything.”
He and Keaton wanted to help, but I insisted that Jace be the only one to remain in the room with me.  I was already obviously going to have to sort through lingering impressions of Imato to do this-- I didn’t need any other magical complications or interference.  (Of course, if I’d known the boys were going to go play with fireworks I might have kept them with me.)
“I’m not a complication?” Jace asked with an impish grin once everyone had left.  He put his hands around my waist.  “Am I at least a distraction?”
I fixed a playful glare on him.  “Well if you’re going to try to be one I can have someone else help me with the maps.  Papa’s influence isn’t quite as focusing, but he won’t be difficult about it either.”
Jace laughed and kissed my nose lightly before releasing me.  He took up a position at the other end of the table with the map that he and Caden had painstakingly marked with Imato’s current position as well as the patrol routes and other camps.  “I am yours to command, as always.”
I rolled my eyes and picked up the pocket watch., holding it lightly above my mirror.
“Keish?” I heard Imato ask groggily.  He was alert almost instantly.  “What’s wrong?”
I held up a hand.  “Nothing.  Nothing is wrong.  Apparently I misjudged how recently you’d carried your father’s watch.”
Imato fell back onto the cot.  “My father’s watch?”  Confusion was quickly replacing adrenalin.  “I took it with me when I went to see him before leaving Rousha.  But what does that…  Why can I see Jace?”
Jace gave a crooked grin.  “Is this what you knights do?  Sleep away the day?”
“Only when we’ve been up all night on patrol.  Keish, what’s going on?”
I sighed as I tried to untangle the threads on magic in my mind.  “Imato, have you been practicing calling spells?”
He looked startled.  “Well, yes.  Queran and I were experimenting with them as a means for patrols to report in.”
“And were you dreaming just now?”
“Yes… Jace was here…” He rubbed his hand across his face.  “I needed to tell him something…”
I sighed again.  “You used a calling spell in your sleep.”
Imato’s eyes went wide.  “I called Jace from here in my sleep?”
I laughed.  “Sort of.  You tried to-- at the same time that I was sifting through the harmonics on your father’s watch.  For anyone else it would be the most ridiculous magical coincidence conceivable.  For us,” I shrugged, “it’s being Brios.”
Jace was laughing softly as Imato struggled to make sense of what happened.
“Better to interrupt a calling spell than a ward,” I muttered, remembering when I interrupted Uncle W’s spell.
“Go back to sleep, Imato.  I’ll write as soon as Keish is done to let you know what she learns.”
Imato looked like he wanted to argue with that, but he was obviously exhausted.  “See that you do,” he said finally.
I pulled back, carefully releasing the calling spell.  I looked at Jace.  “Well that wasn’t what I intended.”
“But it was entertaining,” Jace replied with a smile.  “What are the odds of something like that?”
“For anyone else?  Nearly nonexistent.  For Brios?”  I laughed.  “I’m almost surprised it doesn’t happen more often.”
“Well, shall we try that again, love?  Not that I don’t enjoy chatting with Imato.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, gently pushing past all traces of Imato, searching for traces of your father instead.
I was rewarded with a dizzying swirl of images-- I was in the desert and a battle raged around me.  I stumbled and vaguely felt Jace’s arm go around my waist.  I felt him slide the map close, a quill held ready.
I steadied myself and saw your father fighting a mountain troll.  I’ve seen swordplay before, of course, but your father was amazing.
After several moments, the troll’s hand shot forward and ripped your father’s talisman from his armor.  I felt more than saw the ward around your father waver as I heard a grating laugh from the troll.  Your father was able to lunge forward, stabbing the troll, but the troll spun away, retreating with his prize.
Your father was immediately surrounded and I had to remind myself that I wasn’t there-- it wasn’t happening in front of me… there was nothing I could do for him.
I let my magic follow the talisman instead.  The troll who had taken it ran, darting here and there to avoid engaging with any of the other knights.  Suddenly he broke through the lines and I saw him run.  It felt like hours before he came to a small opening in a hillside.  Not large enough to be a cave, but just large enough to hide the troll.  He dove into it.
I reached for Jace’s hand and let my magic guide it over the map, marking the site of the battle, and the route the troll had taken.
I did not want to look in that hole, but I had to.
I pushed my magic forward, holding it at the opening a moment before seeking inside.
The troll was dead.  Your father had wounded him badly and as he ran he’d lost more and more blood.
The talisman was on the rock beside him.
Eyes still closed, I marked the tiny cave on the map and focused all of my energy on that talisman, trying to speed through the years to the present.
My eyes popped open and I smiled.
“It’s still there.”
Jace was studying the map.  “You know I never doubt you, Keisha, but are you sure about what we’ve marked?”
I thought about it carefully before answering.  Finally I nodded decisively.  “I am.  It’s there.”
Jace laughed.  “Well, who said this wouldn’t be easy?”  He pointed at the map.
I leaned forward to study it and laughed with him.
Imato’s camp is not an hour’s ride from the small cave I saw.  He’s camped practically right on top of it.
Jace started a letter to Imato immediately, but of course that’s when Keaton and Liop nearly deafened me with simultaneous calling spells.  (He finished it this evening and Caden sent it off with a pigeon so Imato should have it in three or four days.)
Since Nysa came running too, I gathered they weren’t very specific about who they called.
I made them each learn a simple calling spell this morning, but hadn’t expected them to need it this soon.

Jace insisted that they explain what happened to Caden and apologize, since they were his fireworks.  When he and Tish showed up to have their lesson exchange, the boys hung their heads and explained.
Caden tried not to laugh.  At least, I think he tried.
They let the boys stay for both the science and writing lesson, so the boys knew they were forgiven.
Tish declined the invitation to stay for dinner, but Caden accepted, of course.
Dinner was a lively affair, highlighted by Keaton and Liop’s accounts every science experiment they’ve ever tried.  And several rather alarming ones they’d like to.
In the library afterward I tried to ask Caden more about Raquel’s letter.  (He’d been put out earlier having received a letter saying that she and her family would be unable to attend his ball after all.)
“I’m sorry, Keish, what were you saying?  I was busy flirting with Taty.”
“So I noticed.  I also noticed that Jace is rather studiously ignoring you both.”
Caden grinned.  “He knows I’m not serious.  And she’s not serious.  And that we both know the other isn’t serious.  Besides, it was her idea.”
I raised an eyebrow at Taty.
“A full week in Adya without my parents-- if I were to come home without even the barest flirtation, Kelly Minn would never forgive me,” she said earnestly.  “It’s harmless.”  She took Caden’s arm and drew him away.  “Now let me tell you more about my dress…”
I shook my head.
“I know,” Jace said, suddenly beside me.  “It’s ridiculous, but she’s insistent.”  He shrugged.  “I trust Caden, though.  For the most part.”
I chuckled, watching as Caden dutifully studied the sketch Taty had gotten from Annette.
“Is she ruining Father with that dress?” Jace asked lightly.
I laughed.  “Of course not.  Taty’s a perfectly sensible young woman with a healthy allowance.”
He gave me a look.
I smiled.  “And I told Annette that I would be taking care of any extra cost incurred to finish it by Thursday.  After all, Taty, Nysa and I are going shopping to the Spring Market Wednesday afternoon and it wouldn’t do for Taty to have spent all her money beforehand.”

March 14th
By lunch time today, Liop and Keaton had already dragged Master Zart to Tish’s laboratory, the science museum and back again.  I think he’s beginning to realize what he’s in for this week.
After lunch Nysa gave them a magic lesson-- after she and I discussed age-appropriate spells.  It was an interesting discussion.  Her work with Gretel seems to have made her less upset about Liop and magic, but we still disagreed on several points.
Like fire.  Though after yesterday’s incident with the fireworks I think I won that argument more easily than I would have otherwise.  It seems like a bad idea to teach them to start fires after yesterday.  (Yesterday they were using the matches Tulson sent Jace.  Those have been confiscated and hidden, naturally.)

March 15th
I’ve told Master Zart he may as well suspend lessons that do not involve science for the rest of Liop’s visit.  The boys insisted on observing Tish’s final exams today, and she agreed so long as they remained quiet.
Master Zart told them to take notes if they had any questions.  I think they each filled all of the paper they took with them.
My finals are going well, but I shall be very glad to be done with them.  I just have to get through tomorrow morning.
I had a break for lunch today, and while I ate Taty and Malia looked at more sketches than I’ve seen since Gretel’s wedding planning.  Except that these were rooms and furniture instead of dresses and flowers.
As Taty chattered on, I saw Caden walk past the breakfast room.  I called out to him.
“Jace is in his practice yard getting ready for his finals tomorrow,” I informed him.
He nodded.  “Yes I know.  Actually I… I needed some advice.  I was talking to your father.”
“Oh?  Nothing serious, I hope.”
Caden shrugged.  “Since there is a high likelihood that things will not go well Saturday, I felt there are certain matters I would like taken care of ahead of time.”
“Your inheritance from your grandfather.”
He nodded again.  “Your father was kind enough to give me the name of his solicitor.”
“Master Warwick is a good man.”
Caden gave me a small smile before turning his attention to Taty and her monstrous pile of color options.  Amazingly, he managed to flirt, pay attention to the details of her ideas, and get away in less than an hour.

Taty has finally talked Nysa into a dress, which I’m certain will mean Annette will be up all night tonight and probably tomorrow, but she says she doesn’t mind a bit.  She’s thrilled to be able to experiment more in this style.  Nysa’s is much less dramatic than mine or Taty’s, but it’s lovely.


March 16th
I wish you could have been with us at the Spring Market today, Arri.  The weather was beautiful and Nysa, Taty and I had a beautifully relaxing afternoon.
Which was exactly what I needed after the last 2 ½ days.
Of course, since Taty and Nysa are having dresses made, none of us shopped much.
And since they both had fittings before dinner, I had two free hours to take Argentum out.  He was nearly as anxious for the freedom as I was.  I only wish Jace had been free.  I think Argyros did too.
“You should have had Bryce ride with you so that she got the exercise,” Jace said later.
“I thought about it, but he seemed to have his hands full with Vanessa’s new filly.”
Jace laughed.
Vanessa’s filly has been the talk of the court for the past week.  She insisted that she would train the poor horse herself and was nearly thrown for her troubles last week.  Thankfully, she was disgusted with the situation and turned the horse over to Bryce and the other stable hands.

Master Zart found me in the library with Jace and Caden almost as soon as I’d returned.
“I thought you should see this, Lady Keish,” he said.  He handed me a note.
Written in Keaton’s careful hand was the following:
We have gone to battle the Dragon of the Grove.
Do not worry-- we will be home in time for dinner and we will not leave palace grounds.
And of course the dragon is, in point of fact, imaginary.
-Keaton (and Liop)
“They’ve discovered my old nemesis,” I said with a laugh.  “Someone’s been telling tales about my childhood.”
“Your father, I‘d imagine,” Jace said after taking the note from me and reading it.
“Should I go looking for them?” Master Zart asked.  He looked worried.  After the incident with the fireworks he hadn’t wanted to take his half day, but I’d insisted.
I shook my head.  “No, they’ll be fine.  I taught them both that simple calling spell for if they get into trouble and I‘m certain Brooksby didn‘t let them take any fireworks.  Besides, I spent lots of time exploring the palace woods as a child.  It’s perfectly safe.”
“Did you not have any friends?” Caden asked.
I shrugged.  “There was Bryce.”
“Bryce?  The stablehand?”  he asked incredulously.
I smiled.  “Well they just called him ‘boy’ then.  His grandfather was the stable master and he was always underfoot.  I think at some point his grandfather decided that sending him off with me took care of two problems at once.  He made an excellent squire to my knight.”
Caden rolled his eyes.  “Only you…” he muttered.
I chose to ignore him.  “Do you know if they took Nozama?” I asked Master Zart.
He nodded.  “Dylan says they took Zest as well.  He wanted to go with them, but they insisted he stay with Thor.”
I shrugged.  “Zest shouldn’t be any trouble.  And she certainly knows her way home.”
Master Zart still looked concerned.
I put a hand on his arm.  “If they aren’t back in a quarter hour, I’ll call for them.”
I didn’t have to call them.  Within ten minutes Caden, who was sitting by the window, called Jace and I over.  “The conquering heroes, I presume?” he said with a grin.
The library is quite high, of course, so it was hard to make out any details, but the two small figures had to be Liop and Keaton.
I reached for my opera glasses (which were luckily handy) and looked again.
And laughed as I haven’t laughed in quite some time.
Between the two boys, sitting regally on Zest’s back, was Nozama.  In miniature armor.
Obviously I was right to be concerned about the boys learning to glamour.
I pushed a hint of magic toward them to determine what they’d done.  It was a simple glamour, one that wouldn’t hold up to a close inspection, and it took both of them working together, but the details were impressive.
Jace and Caden both borrowed the glasses and laughed as well.
“Ah, if only Tish had an instant reflectagraphy device,” Caden said once he’d caught his breath.

At dinner the boys regaled us with the story of their adventure.  Papa said it rivaled the stories I told as a child.  I retorted that I hadn’t had a tamarin to star in my stories.
Caden ate with us again, continuing his ridiculous flirtation with Taty.
“How do you explain all this time away from home to your mother?” I asked him finally.
“She thinks I’m at my club, playing billiards and tavern games and generally reveling in the final vestiges of true bachelorhood,” he replied with a dramatic sigh.  “At home I am on my most perfectly precise behavior, though I’m avoiding Stacia, of course.  It’s been easy this week-- she’s been at the dressmaker’s daily.”
Taty giggled.  (If I wasn’t certain neither of them were serious about their game, I’d almost be worried.)  “Is that who that is?  Annette has had quite the time of it, making certain she doesn’t see our dresses.  She knows Keish is wearing hers Saturday and doesn’t want anyone else to get ideas and end up competing with Keish for attention.”
“You realize there simply must be dancing tomorrow night,” Caden informed me, jumping topics with his usual dizzying speed.
I raised an eyebrow.  “And why must there be dancing?”
Caden looked affronted.  “These lovely ladies insist they cannot extend their stay in order to attend my ball.  Since they are depriving me of the opportunity to dance with them then, I insist that there must be dancing tomorrow.”  He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Jace smiled at me.  “I never turn down an opportunity,” he said.
I sighed, but I didn’t really mean it.  “Constantly being forced into dancing… in my own home,” I said, shaking my head.
“I should think you’d enjoy it more, Keish,” Taty said.  “You and Jace do it so well.  And you always look so elegant.”
I allowed myself to be persuaded, of course.
“But what about music?” I asked.
Papa smiled.  “Brooksby plays extremely well.  He was often pressed into service accompanying my sister-in-law.”
I looked at Brooksby in surprise.  “Brooksby, how have you hidden such talents?”
“I shall have to insist upon it, Brooksby,” Caden said before he could respond.  “We can’t have Jace or I playing if we’re to be dancing.”
I rolled my eyes.  “You know you always have my unwavering permission to tell him no,” I told Brooksby.
I was rewarded with a small smile.  “Yes, my lady, but how could I say no to Mistress Tatyana?”
Taty beamed at him.
Keaton declared that the palace dance tutor will be thrilled about such practical application and Liop began listing every dance he could think of in every possible language.  Jace finally had to remind him to breathe.
With the promise of spending the day at the museum tomorrow, the boys went off to bed willingly enough, though I’m certain the excitement kept them up for some time.
March 17th
What a day, Arri.
I think Tish and Caden were as excited about the museum as the boys were.  Even Master Zart was more animated than normal.
As expected, they ran the rest of us ragged.  Very quickly.
I think Taty lost interest before anyone else, with Nysa not too far behind.  They had their final fittings, though, and left the rest of us not long after lunch.  (A picnic at the museum.  The boys were thrilled.)
My attention started to wander eventually also, and Master Zart noticed.
“Lady Keish, you’ve had a very long week.  I’m sure the boys would understand if you left early,” he told me as the boys eagerly listened to Tish’s explanation of whatever contraption we were standing in front of.
I laughed.  “I’m not sure they would even notice.”
Jace smiled and took my hand.  “Let’s take that ride I missed yesterday.”
Master Zart nodded his encouragement, so with a quick goodbye to Tish and Caden (the boys had already run ahead to the next exhibit) we slipped away.
We had a splendid ride.  The weather has been lovely-- much better than I expected.  I feel a storm coming, but I think it’s still a few days away and until then I will simply enjoy the beauty of early spring.
Now I’m waiting to go down for the party.
Jace found me at my desk, writing, and leaned down to kiss my cheek.  “I don’t think I’ve seen you in that gown.”
I smiled a little.  “That’s because I haven’t worn it since Euan painted me in it.  But it’s fairly simple and I promised Taty that I wouldn’t outshine her new dress tonight.”
Jace laughed.  “I’m always glad to see my sister shine,” he said, pulling me up out of my chair, “but no simple gown will ever make you shine less, love.”
“Don’t let her hear you say that.”
Jace winked.  “Of course not.  But it’s true nonetheless.”  He kissed my hands.  “Where is my shining little sister?”
I indicated my dressing room.  “Malia’s working her magic on them both.  Nysa didn’t want the attention, but Taty is nothing if not insistent.”
Jace laughed a little at that, then frowned.  “This isn’t about Caden, is it?”
I smiled, shaking my head.  “You know that’s just a game to them both.  Actually as I left the dressing room I heard her wondering when a certain Master Corey Gray will invite her to the opera so she can wear this dress.”
Jace blinked.  “At least Corey has a good head on his shoulders,” he muttered finally.

March 18th
Taty and Nysa came out just as I was writing the above.  Jace made all of the appropriate remarks and it was time to go down to the drawing room.
Caden and the boys were already there and Caden made a great fuss over both Taty and Nysa and their new dresses.
Both Keaton and Liop tried to follow his example, but they are just too young to pull off that level of flirtation and charm.  For which we should probably be thankful.
Papa gave me a wink that clearly said he thought I looked lovely too before joining Caden in his praise of Taty and Nysa.
I was perfectly happy to let them have all the attention.
Tish arrived soon after, looking amazing.  I’m not certain I’ve ever seen her in a gown.
I think Caden was thinking the same thing-- he stumbled just a bit over his greeting, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he turned his attentions back to Taty.
Dinner was simple, but impressive nonetheless, and true to his word, Caden had put together an entire table of ridiculously exotic treats for the evening.
I think the boys quickly consumed their weights in sugar, but what else are parties for?
Before long, Caden called for Brooksby and the dancing began.  Brooksby is quite talented and played a wide range of dances.
We all danced and danced, trading partners with each new song.  After a while, I decided to sit a few out.  The fast waltz Jace and I had just finished left me breathless and dizzy.
I enjoyed watching everyone else dance.  Nysa was dancing with Keaton and Liop was dancing with Tish.  Papa was clapping and clearly enjoying himself.
When Jace cut in to dance with Taty, Caden came over to sit by me.
“Was that a subtle hint to tone down your flirtation?” I asked mischievously.
Caden laughed.  “I doubt it, actually.”  He was quiet a moment.  “Jace is a good friend.”
I gave him a questioning look.
“I think if I actually had intentions toward Taty… well, Jace would take me seriously.”  He laughed.  “I think he’d even give his blessing.  Maybe.”
I laughed with him.  “Maybe, indeed.”
“But, it’s not at issue.  As I told Jace yesterday, I’ve decided that without a doubt, I’m not marrying a woman under 20.”
“Really?”
He nodded.  “Taty’s a wonderful girl, and I’ve enjoyed our little game, but she is definitely too young.”
I smiled.  “I doubt Jace argued that point.”
“No, of course not.”  He gave me a crooked grin as the dance ended.  “Now Nysa, on the other hand…”
“I’m not calling you uncle.”
He laughed as he left my side to claim Nysa’s hand for the next dance.
We all stayed up ridiculously late.  The boys eventually more or less collapsed and Jace and Caden carried them to their room.
Once we’d all decided it was truly time to go to bed, Jace and I went upstairs to find Hermes waiting with your letter.
I started to open it, but Jace plucked it from my hand.  “Arri will understand if that waits until morning.”
“Later this morning, you mean?” I asked him with a laugh.
He nodded, turning me toward my dressing room and giving me a little push.
“Bossy,” I told him over my shoulder.
Jace just laughed.

Now that I’ve written everything about last night and read your letter, though, I can respond to it.  Liop, Taty and Nysa will be leaving this afternoon, but I doubt anyone else has stirred much yet this morning.
Caden is bound to pop up before then, so I’ll give him Mendel’s test when he does.  I refuse to even attempt it myself.
While you don’t have time to worry about Mendel and flying machines, I am too tired to even contemplate it.  I did read that to Jace as he was leaving to finish his finals, though, and he is highly amused.
I do not know what type of chickens Keaton wants, but I do know that Liop has been helping him with his proposal.  I think they’ve conned Master Zart into another trip to the chicken coops later this morning.
Yes, Tish did say something about the cell expanding too quickly if you passed too much air into it.  And Keaton and Liop have been learning all about osmosis this week, so I’ve heard all about that.  It is interesting how the cells respond to water that way.
It’s also interesting that you can’t banish the bacteria from the slide.  I wonder why.
Nysa and I have talked about Gretel’s magic and we found a couple of sound-related spells in the library.  Nysa says Gretel is very determined indeed.
I’m glad to hear that Beagan’s knighthood ceremony went well, though it does seem a little unfair for Corey not to have had some similar recognition.  What he did was very important too.  Perhaps I’ll have to send him a shield also.
I wonder what sort of object T’ay could be.  If only someone could figure out how to translate the rest of the document.
Taty will be thrilled to hear that Mendel drew up the townhouse yesterday.  She and Malia have agreed to continue their scheming (my word) through correspondence, so Malia will use the blueprints as a reference.
Later
Caden is delighted with Mendel’s test.
“Could you pass it yourself?” I asked him.
He gave me a pained look.  “It’s not for me to take.”
“So you couldn’t then.”
He just scowled at me.
Nysa, Taty and Liop have left.  Keaton is quite low this afternoon as a result.  Master Zart finally offered to take him to Tish’s lab to cheer him up, but Keaton declined, saying he’d work on his language assignment instead.  Apparently Master Zart had him make a list of interesting words he heard Liop use while he was here.  It’s quite the list.  Keaton had to come borrow a better dictionary.
I hope your break has been both quiet and productive.  I should be grading finals, but I refuse.  Instead I’m going out to the stables.  I’ve already sent word to Jace to meet me there as soon as his last final is concluded.
Tomorrow Malia and I will see what can be done about my garden and Jace and I will attend Caden’s ball.
This letter is quite long enough, though, so I shall have to start a new one for that.  It promises to be a very interesting evening.

Love Always,

Keish

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See Taty's and Nysa's

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