He lipped her booted foot affectionately; Talia picked up a projection of reassurance and something to do with time.

“You think I’ll get used to it in a few days? Lord, I hope so! Still—” She thought hard, trying to remember just what the Queen’s schedule was like. “Hm. Council sessions aren’t more than three times a week. Audiences, though, they’re every day. Alberich will torture me every day, too. But I could reschedule, say, Devan before breakfast and just after lunch—save weapons drill for just before dinner, so I’m only changing twice a day. You, my darling, whenever I can squeeze a free moment.”

Rolan made a sound very like laughing.

“True, with the tight bond we have, I don’t have to be with you physically, do I? What did you think of the audiences?”

To Talia’s delight, he hung his head and did a credible imitation of a human snore.

“You, too? Lord and Lady, they’re as bad as State banquets! Why did I ever think being a Herald would be exciting?”

Rolan snorted, and projected the memory of their flight across country to get help for the plague-stricken village of Waymeet, following that with the fight with the raiders that had attacked and fired Hevenbeck.

“You’re right; I think I can live with boredom. What do you think of how Elspeth’s coming along?”

To her surprise, Rolan was faintly worried, but could give her no clear idea why he felt that way.

“Is it important enough to trance down to where you can give me a clearer idea?”

He shook his head, mane brushing her face a little.

“Well, in that case, we’ll let it go. It’s probably just the usual rebelliousness—and I can’t say as I blame her. Her schedule is as bad as mine. I don’t like it, and I can’t fault her if she doesn’t either.”

Talia dismounted beside a tiny, spring-fed pool, and sat in the grass, watching the sun set, and emptying her mind. Rolan stood beside her, both of them content with a quiet moment in which to simply be together.

“Well, I’m into it at last,” she said, half to herself. “I thought I’d never make it, sometimes. . . .”

This had been the first day she had truly been Queen’s Own—with all the duties and all the rights; from the right to overrule the Council to the right to overrule Selenay (though that was one she hadn’t exercised, and still wasn’t sure she had the nerve for!); from her duty to ease the fears of her fellows in the Circle to the duty to see to the Heir’s well-being.