“Guard,” Selenay addressed the fourth person in the room, and the Guardsman turned to the Queen with gratitude suffusing his face, “Fetch Robin, please, would you? He’ll be having breakfast in the page’s room about now. Just ask for him.”

The Guard left, plainly happy to be out of the situation.

When he returned with Robin, Talia took the child to one side, away from the others, and closer to the Queen than to Orthallen. She spoke quietly and encouragingly, taking the initiative before Orthallen had a chance to try and bully him.

“Robin, I gave you some papers to take to Herald Dirk last night. How many were there?”

“I—” He looked troubled. “I thought there were fourteen, but—”

“But?”

“I fell down, and when I picked them up, there were fifteen. I know, because Dean Elcarth told me to remember things that were funny, and that was funny.”

“When did you fall down?”

“Near the staircase, by the lion tapestry.”

“Was anyone else nearby? Did you run into anyone?”

“I wasn’t running,” he said indignantly. “There was a m’lord, but—m’lady, Mama always told me not to stare at m’lords, so—I didn’t see who it was.”

“Bright Stars!” Orthallen suddenly looked shamefaced—almost horror-stricken—though somehow Talia had the feeling that he was putting on an act. Certainly there was nothing she could sense empathically behind his expression. “That was me—and I had the scroll at the time. Stars, I must have dropped it, and the child picked it up!” He turned to Dirk, a faint flush creeping over his face, and spread his hands with an apologetic grimace. “Herald Dirk, my most profound apologies. Majesty, I hardly know what to say.”

“I think we’ve all said quite enough for one morning,” Selenay replied tiredly. “Dirk, Kris, I am terribly sorry. I hope you’ll all put this down to an excess of zeal. Talia—”

Talia just shook her head a little, and said, “We can all talk about it when we’ve cooled down. Right now is not the time.”

Selenay gave her a smile of gratitude as Orthallen used this as a cue to excuse himself.

Talia was not sorry to see him leave.

Selenay detailed the Guard to escort Robin back, and asked Talia, “Have you had anything to eat yet? I thought not. Then go do so, and I’ll see you in Council.”

The three Heralds left together, the Guardsman right behind them, escorting a mystified Robin back to the page’s quarters. Talia could feel Dirk seething, and braced herself for the explosion.

As soon as they were a sufficient distance from the Queen’s chambers that they were likely to have no audience, it came.

“Thanks a lot, friend!” Dirk all but hissed. “Thanks ever so much, brother! How I ever managed without your help, I’ll never know!”

“Look, Dirk—I’m sorry—”